Focus Forward Serving Youth in Fresno County

Focus Forward mission is to create positive change & promote successful outcomes for youth in the Fresno County juvenile justice & foster care systems.

Strategic Initiatives of Focus Forward

Advocacy and support services Leadership development Education and training Research and policy development

Organizational Structure

Governing Board Advisory Board Chief Executive Officer Program Manager Bright Futures Program Manager Program Coordinator AmeriCorps Vista Interns & Volunteers

Program Pillars

Accountability Ethics Professional Identity Development & Values Empowerment Opportunity Social Justice Culturally Competent Practice

Intern/Volunteer Role

To assist the youth in developing interpersonal skills at the Juvenile Justice Campus & to the youth as they transition back into the community

The desire to fully commit the role as a mentor at the Juvenile Justice Campus

Following through on assigned dates & times for programming at the Juvenile Justice Campus (Not letting the youth down).

Problems and Issues Affecting Incarcerated Youth

Youth at the Juvenile Justice Campus 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.

Problems and Issues Affecting Incarcerated Youth (cont.)

Youth with a parent in prison are seven times more likely to be involved in the criminal court system and spend time in jail or prison themselves.

The introduction of a reliable mentor during adolescence can greatly reduce the likelihood that such conditions will lead to further criminal activity and incarceration as a an adult.

Roles and Expectation of Social Work Interns

Coach Motivator Companion Counselor Sponsor Supporter Advisor

Tutor Teacher Advocate Career Model

Qualities of a Successful Intern/Volunteer

Commitment Consistency Accessibility Flexibility and

Openness Sense of Humer

Persistence Respect for youth Willingness to listen Kindness and practice Ability to accept

different points of view

Intern/Volunteer Benefits

Supporting a Cause Making a difference Self Development Leadership skills Friendship Overcoming fears &

accepting challenges

Learning new skills and how to teach them

Gaining valuable experience that will enhance resume

Intern/Volunteer Guidelines

Understanding boundaries Always be accessible Maintain regular communication Follow through on your commitments Demonstrate trustworthiness Promote the overall Focus Forward Program Be reliable Seek assistance when needed

Do’s and Don’ts

Do:– Appreciate growth– Come prepared– Be honest– Be a good role model– Be punctual– Show and strive for mutual respect

Do’s and Don’ts (cont.)

Don’t– Think you will change the world overnight– Judge– Forget to listen– Try to be a parent– Be late– Try to instill your own values and beliefs

Interns Objectives with Incarcerated Youth

Improve their self esteem Learn self-reliance Establish personal goals Initiate positive actions Learn to problem solve Learn to be part of a team

Interns Objectives with Incarcerated Youth (cont.)

Practice civic responsibilities Learn to identify and build on personal

strengths Learn life skills including conflict mediation

and alternatives to violence

Analyzing the Agency’s mission and aims

The need for the Focus Forward agency has shown to have great need for the Fresno County community.

Statistics have shown that Fresno County has a local juvenile detention population higher than the California state average.

Analyzing the Agency’s mission and aims (cont.)

This suggest that either more pervasive and serious juveniles crime, a more aggressive law enforcement response to juvenile crime, or both; May count for this geographical concentration of utilization

Analyzing the Agency’s mission and aims (cont.)

The importance of interventions for serious juvenile offenders cannot be overstated as this group poses a significant challenge to criminal justice agencies both in terms of frequency and seriousness of their offending and later behavior as adults.

Analyzing the Agency’s mission and aims (cont.)

The challenge involved in the treatment of the violent delinquents have been widely reported. By the time most serious delinquents are identified and receive intensive treatment from the juvenile justice system, they are well into their delinquent career.

Analyzing the agency’s practices

The results of institutional juveniles contrasted marketable with those for non-institutional juveniles. With the offenders institutions, the treatment effects are much the same for a given program whatever the same characteristic of the juvenile.

Analyzing the agency’s practices (cont.)

The most successful intervention being the interpersonal skills training, followed by the teaching.

Agency’s social justice, social work values and human rights

The strategy of the agency is to insure that they have members and local communities, to insure that they are not just experts, however have members who have lived it.

Agency’s social justice, social work values and human rights (cont.)

As they aim to empower and transform the local communities and push for social change until power has shifted and the people most affected by the issues as part of the decisions making process.

Agency’s social justice, social work values and human rights (cont.)

As they continue to participate until there is a world where everyone is judged by the content of their character, and helping achieve and empower the youth, to reaching their full potential.