DJC Newsletter May, 2006 |
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 Click underlined links to navigate through the newsletter. Highlight and print selected portions.May's issue of the DJC Newsletter focuses on making connections between youth and employment and educational opportunities in the communities in which they will live and work.
Informational Items Announcements
Model County Programs
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Going Home Initiative Outcomes Transitioning a Youth to Post-release Employment The Division of Juvenile Corrections’ experience in the Wisconsin Going Home Project, underway since 2003, echoes findings reported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that suggest improved outcomes are most reliably seen when youth employment focuses on positive youth development and provides “clear, long-term linkages into growing careers”. Successful youth employment and reductions in recidivism have been shown in comprehensive programs that provide intensive case management, focus on training for specific jobs, and offer both pre-release job preparation services and post-release job search assistance to offenders. Committed to using evidence-based practices, DJC is emphasizing pre-employment education, literacy, job training skills and job placement for youth. An employment coordinator hired to staff the Going Home Project has implemented a pilot employment program that is intended to connect what youth learn in the Lifework Education Program within the Juvenile Correctional Institutions with available employment. By partnering with community-based agencies and employers, youth are connected with an available employment opportunity in the community prior to release from a Juvenile Correctional Institution (JCI). The pilot employment program provides meaningful work experience, on-the-job training and an educational scholarship for selected applicants. Program Outcomes to Date
Pilot Program Components Youth are supported with comprehensive release planning, treatment services, surveillance, and accountability expectations provided by DJC staff. Benefits to employers include:
Benefits to youth include:
Key Program Elements
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| Re-entry Success Story A three-phase work program for youth ages 14 and older is being demonstrated by Lincoln Hills School for Boys in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Green Bay. While in the institution the youth receive one-on-one and group training from the Boys and Girls Club job coaches. The training is individualized to the strengths and needs of the youth. In the Job Ready curriculum, adolescents learn how to successfully secure and maintain employment. The youth complete job applications, create resumes and experience mock employment interviews. Through role-playing they learn about appropriate work etiquette and conflict resolution with co-workers and supervisors. The Job Coach helps youth understand aspects of transitioning from adolescence to adulthood such as biological changes, peer pressure, relationships with authorities, peers and parents, freedom and responsibility in decision making, and the importance of job preparedness, goal setting and planning for the future. The Job Coach determines when the youth is ready to move to Work Experience or immediately enter On-The Job Training. When the youth is released from the Juvenile Correctional Institution he is given a twelve-week interim position working in one of the Boys & Girls Club’s programs in Green Bay. This gives the youth a paid opportunity to acquire hands-on experience while building résumé credentials and work references in a supportive environment. Each youth is paid minimum wage for all work hours including orientation and training. While receiving Work Experience, the Job Coach assesses the youth’s progress and works to move him into permanent employment within the community. Additionally, twice a month the Job Coach provides one-on-one sessions and support group meetings. These sessions provide guidance for participants on conflict resolution and other job retention skills. A Boys and Girls Club staffer shares the following story of one participant who had been at Lincoln Hills School. The young man was released from Lincoln Hills School and placed in a group home in Green Bay. The 17-year old held an “intern” position at the Boys and Girls Club, did his job and seemed to enjoy the work. He got along well with all of the kids in the club as well as his co-workers. Soon this young man became a model employee. The Club did not have many Spanish-speaking employees and the youth was fluent in Spanish so he volunteered to translate for the families of the club members. He also played the role of a “counselor”. On one occasion, a situation was escalating between two youth in the club. This young man worked beyond his scheduled shift to talk with the youth to help de-escalate the situation. He was able to use his real life experiences as an example. He told the youth about decisions he had made and the path he had been down. He gave the youth great advice in hopes that they would not go down the same negative path he had. The youth successfully completed the work experience program at the Boys and Girls Club and has relocated to the Fond du Lac area. He is in high school and has obtained a job through Habitat to Humanity. By providing this youth with on-going support and both pre-release job preparation services and post-release job training, he was able to make the most of his education and training experiences. Of course, primary credit goes to this young man whose positive attitude and motivation ruled the day.
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Simply put, LifeWork Education is a curriculum that assists youth in understanding the connection between education and career development. Life Work Education is also a strategy for building a bridge between the Juvenile Justice system and the Wisconsin Workforce Development systems. Initiation of Life Work Education takes place during the Reception phase of correctional placement. All students complete a computerized assessment of their skills, abilities, and interests entitled Career Scope. Interpretive results are used by Life Work Education Case Mangers/Teachers and students throughout the period of incarceration in exploring career development fields and in preparing students for the world of work. Each student compiles a Life Work Education Career Development Portfolio which documents a youth’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and tangible evidence of his/her successes and strengths. It is used in Office Juvenile Offender Reviews, Special Education Meetings, Parent/Teacher Conferences, and Transition Team Meetings to communicate strengths and areas that need additional work. In the community, students use their Portfolios to demonstrate their knowledge, strengths, and skills to employers, admission counselors, and others who will play a critical role in their future career development. The youth must take responsibility and ownership of the material in his/her Portfolio, including deciding which “artifacts” to include. The contents of the Portfolio will vary by individual but may include:
I n addition to the LifeWork Education curriculum, speakers visit the institutions to provide perspective on the world of work. Annually, a Career Exploration Event is facilitated for all students at the Southern Oaks Girls School. Professionals representing a wide variety of fields spend a full day at the institution sharing their educational preparation, their work-related experiences, and the employment opportunity outlook for their respective fields.Southern Oaks Girls School has also sponsored a Fit for the Workplace Event and a Career Wear Fashion Show which allowed students to understand the impact of making a positive first impression by practicing appropriate clothing choices, personal hygiene, and positive verbal and non-verbal communication strategies. A Career Sense Fashion Boutique has also been established which allows each youth to choose one employment-appropriate outfit for job-seeking purposes. "Fit for the Workplace" emphasized balancing emotional and physical health in order to improve employability. Teachers, Social Workers, and Clinical Services Staff shared insights about healthy meal-planning, the importance of routine exercise, the pitfalls of fast-food diets, and the value of stress reduction through relaxation techniques. Ex-Offender Employment Workshops, facilitated by Certified Career Counselor, Art Besse, are held regularly in the Juvenile Correctional Institutions to provide youth with guidance on how their juvenile legal history impacts their employment options. Each student is asked to incorporate formal and informal learning into materials in the Portfolio and instructed to present the Portfolio to his/her aftercare agent during the first meeting after release from the juvenile correctional institution. Whether aftercare is provided by a DJC agent or county case manager, how that adult works with the youth to optimize use of the Portfolio contents is key to connecting education to the world of work and the youth's on-going education.
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Southeastern Regional Office Job Fair Success On April 19, 2006 the first annual Job Fair was held at the DJC Southeastern Regional Headquarters in Milwaukee. Twenty-three potential employers and community service providers spent five hours talking with youth and family members, explaining requirements and benefits of employment and taking job applications. Nearly 125 youth and their families attended - some joining spontaneously as word spread of the event. Within a week, at least six youth had interviews scheduled and within three weeks, three youth were on the job. The Job Fair marks the beginning of a new type of partnership between the Division and communities in which statewide and regional employers can meet face to face with potential employees. Representatives from Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's office and the Milwaukee office of the Department of Workforce Development were on hand to support the event. Among employers on April 19 were: The US Armed Forces, American Property Service, 1-800-Got Junk, Bridgeman Foods (Fazoli's, Wendy's and Perkins Family Restaurants), Applebee's, T-Mobile, Expose LLC (asbestos removal), Cousins Subs Corporation and Home Depot. Community organizations, Running Rebels (mentoring provider, job readiness program, Music on the Move), Word of Hope Ministries (Family Resource Center, computer technology center, housing referrals and more) and Mt. Castle (counseling, employment, treatment) were also on hand to explain services in finding housing, employment and other community resources. Educational institutions represented included, the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), Milwaukee Area Technical College, UW-Milwaukee and Milwaukee Public Schools (GED, post-secondary opportunities/preparation). Event organizers lead by the Going Home Employment Coordinator D. Steward and Community Probation and Parole Agent Melody Wynn, would like to take this opportunity to thank all the vendors who made the event a success. The very positive response demonstrates that business is more than willing to give youth an opportunity for gainful employment. For more information about the Job Fair and specific vendors contact: D. Steward at 414.229. 0914 or Melody Wynn at 414.229.0682.
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INFORMATIONAL ITEMSUpdate and Refresher on the Serious Juvenile Offender Program What is the Serious Juvenile Offender Program (SJOP)? A longer-term disposition in Ch. 938 for youth adjudicated delinquent for committing certain serious offenses.
Type 1 and Type 2 components of SJOP
Transfer and discharge
Funding
Why was SJOP created?
Who is eligible? Attained a certain age
Found delinquent for listed offense, by juvenile or criminal court
Case law and questions
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Juvenile Cognitive Intervention Program Results The Division is proud to highlight the number of youth who successfully complete the Choices and Changes phases of the Juvenile Cognitive Intervention Program offered at all DJC facilities. Each phase includes 15 lessons and takes an average of six weeks to complete.
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Juvenile Court Intake Worker Training
We offer this update to assist Counties in coordinating hires/assignments with available training sessions. Notification Requirement: It is the employer’s legal responsibility to notify the Department of Corrections at the time that a new intake worker is hired or re-assigned. Notification forms should be sent to: Gretchen Kubnick, JSS, Division of Juvenile Corrections, PO Box 8930, Madison, WI 53708-8930. Fax 608.240.3370. Training Payment: There is a $120 fee per participant, charged to counties, for workers trained during the state fiscal year 2006 (ending June 30, 2006). Checks or purchase orders should be made out to the WI Juvenile Court Intake Association (WJCIA). Checks must be received at least 30 days prior to the session. Send checks and registrations to:
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Announcements 2006 Department of Workforce Development Business and Employer training events
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MaryAdele Revoy takes Policy and Planning Analyst Position Administrator Charles Tubbs announced that MaryAdele Revoy will serve as the Division’s juvenile justice policy specialist, grants review coordinator and legislative liaison. She will be responsible for developing, implementing and coordinating new and existing statewide policies, procedures and activities related to Youth Aids and other juvenile justice funding programs. She will initiate and coordinate special studies, analyze and summarize program data and provide legislative program monitoring, in cooperation with the Department’s Legislative Liaison. This position is funded by General Purpose Revenue. MaryAdele was employed as a Crisis Intervention Worker with the Division of Adult Institutions, Taycheedah Correctional Institution. Prior to her employment at TCI, she worked as a Program and Policy Analyst in the Division of Program, Planning and Movement. While in DPPM, she implemented an evaluation design for offender programs, assisted in the development of record-keeping and evaluation databases and completed reports of evaluation findings. Prior to that, MaryAdele was employed at the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence in Pennsylvania. She also served as the Director of the Janet C. Anderson Women’s Center at Idaho State University, where she managed the budget and developed educational programming on domestic violence, rape/sexual assault and breast cancer detection for the campus and area community. MaryAdele Revoy can be reached at (608) 240-5917.
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