Laserfiche WebLink
M M <br />Prevention and Intervention: The Department of Juvenile Justice contracts with Florida network <br />of Youth and Family Services to provide services for runaways, truants, and children who are <br />considered to be "ungovernable". Examples include: non-residential day programs for female <br />status offenders, dependents and delinquents; alternative school programs for youth who are <br />suspended from school; early intervention programs for middle schoolers to keep them in school <br />and Children in Need of Services/Families in Need of Services for habitual runaways. <br />Diversion Programs: <br />-JASP -- a delinquency program offering diversionary and dispositional alternatives to the <br />States Attorney and Juvenile Court -- community service work; mediation services 4nd <br />restitution. <br />-Family Support Unit -- short term intensive, home-based, family centered intervention service <br />(St. Lucie County at present)— focuses on special needs of clients in care, particularly substance <br />abuse, mental health, education and vocational training. <br />-Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes is designed to assess a youth for substance abuse and <br />mental health issues. The youth is referred to appropriate services and assistance. <br />-Community Arbitration: sanctions are placed on the youth with a time limit for completion. <br />- Teen Court: adjudicates guilt and sanctions. <br />Community Control -- a legal state of probation imposed by the Circuit Court (Juvenile <br />Division) that is non -institutional in nature. <br />Detention Services -- St. Lucie Detention Center is a secure detention facility. They may hold <br />juveniles up to 21 days prior to an adjudicatory hearing and for serious or violent offenders after <br />until placed in an appropriate commitment program. Capacity is 48 and the average daily <br />population has been 85 at $100/day. <br />Sandy Kahle advised she was a community advocate. She spoke on Child Care Issues and explained <br />that each $1.00 spent when children are young equates to $7.16 savings in the future. She presented <br />statistics to show comparisons of what families at different economic levels spend on children. She <br />offered statistics on the services of community organizations and pointed out there is a waiting list. She <br />stressed the need for quality child care especially for infants & toddlers. She pointed to the need for <br />more space in quality day care, special training for them, and assistance for start up for quality day care <br />homes. She believed the best answer is a blending of resources. <br />MAY 13, 1997 35 I 1T <br />