Aggression Replacement Training (ART)

Functional Family Therapy (FFT)

FFT provides youth and families with an average of twelve sessions of family therapy. Youth who participate are moderate to high-risk on the juvenile court risk assessment. The therapy is intended to reduce negativity and blaming within the family and to increase the family’s hope that change can be accomplished. The therapy focuses on identifying obtainable goals for the family and developing a behavior change program. The therapy also encourages a generalization stage that helps the family find external support for ongoing change. The therapy expects to improve the family functioning and to change the youth’s attitudes and skills. In 2001, thirty youth and their families participated in Functional Family Therapy.
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Life Skills Building for Girls

Life Skills Building is a detention-based program for girls ages 11 to 17 involved in the juvenile justice system. The class was started as a means to provide crucial and relevant information on issues affecting this population. The formulation of this class reflects the larger trend within the juvenile justice system to provide preventative services and treatment alternatives. This class compliments other services offered for girls on probation, such as MST ,FFT, ART, and mentoring.

Classes are offered three times a month, two hours each class. The course material has been designed to awaken individual consciousness and facilitate group discussion about core issues in adolescent female lives. Each week has a theme addressing a specific core issue. The theme is presented through lectures, group discussion, and individual and group exercises. Themes include domestic violence and abusive relationship patterns, sexual abuse and date rape, eating disorders and development of healthy body image, establishment of goals and priorities, self-esteem, substance abuse, depression, and family relationships.

The desired outcome is focused on improvement of the participant’s decision-making process. In so doing, it is intended that their goals, their health and their significant relationships will begin to improve. This is accomplished in the process of information provided, awareness raised, and self-confidence strengthened.
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Multisystemic Therapy (MST)

MST focuses on the social ecology of the youth. Youth who participate are high-risk on the juvenile court risk assessment. This 24-hour a day program in its four to six-month duration seeks to engage the youth and the family in activities that reduce the youth’s risk to recidivate. All elements of the youth and family’s community are evaluated and utilized to help support the change process. The therapy focuses building supports and plans that will assist the family in intervening early in the youth’s behavior. The program expects to improve the family functioning and to change the youth’s attitudes and skills. In 2001, thirty-three youth and their families participated in Multisystemic Therapy.
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Parent Aggression Replacement Training (PART)