1. The Juvenile Justice Campus: Focus Forward Rachel Hill Social Work 180 Daniel Espinoza Tu Th 2-3:15 October 21,2011
2. Main Social Justice Issue Addressed by the Agency The main social justice issue for Focus Forward is to provide positive role models to the youth that are incarcerated in the Juvenile Justice Campus. Focus Forward wants to help the youth become productive members of society and reduce the crime rate and violence in the community.
4. Community Context Youth in Juvenile hall often come from families with histories of incarceration, abuse and neglect, often lack positive relationships with adults, have strong affiliations with gangs, and frequently perform below grade-level in academics.
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6. Mission and Aims To create positive change and promote successful outcomes for young people in the Fresno County juvenile justice and foster care systems. -The Juvenile Justice Campus provide mentors who are not only interns, but also community volunteers for the youth. But they are selective about who are able to be mentors. People who posses the characteristics of a positive role model and who pass the screening process that is required and go through the on-site training are used to mentor the youth.
7. Agency Practices “ Focus Forward promotes programs and services that are based on promising practices, researched-based practices, and best practices.” - Bright Futures: The goal of the program is to strengthen families by working with youth who are in the Juvenile Justice System and are pregnant or have children ages 0 - 5. - Case Management and Mentoring: The mentors are assigned youth and work with them, assessing their needs and developing a case plan to support them in custody and when they transition back to the community. The mentors approach the youth in a non-judgmental and caring manner, resulting in the youth trusting and respecting them.
8. Agency Significance in terms of Social Justice, Social Work Values and Human Rights Focus Forward models all of the core values that are valued by the Social Work code of Ethics: service social justice dignity and worth of the person importance of human relationships integrity Competence The mentors approach the youth in a non-judgmental and caring manner, resulting in the youth trusting and respecting them. The youth are also given the opportunity to express themselves freely and the mentors are a welcomed "listening ear." The mentors model positive behavior and support the youth in developing goals for success.
9. How to become a Mentor or Learn More about Focus Forward Contact Kirsten Leif (559) 286-6190, (559) 600-4961 or [email_address] . Or Visit Focus Forward Online at http://www.focusforward.org/volunteer
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Notas del editor
(Corporation for National and Community Service, 2006)
County of Fresno - Probation - Juvenile Justice Campus . (n.d.). County of Fresno . Retrieved October 25, 2011, from http://www.co.fresno.ca.us/DepartmentPage.aspx?id=12951 County of Fresno - Probation - plannedparenthood . (n.d.). County of Fresno . Retrieved October 25, 2011, from http://www.co.fresno.ca.us/DepartmentPage.aspx?id=4328
FocusForward. (n.d.). FocusForward . Retrieved October 24, 2011, from http://www.focusforward.org/
Mentoring & Case Management - FocusForward. (n.d.). FocusForward. Retrieved October 25, 2011, from http://www.focusforward.org/initiatives/mentoring-case-management