The Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council (CAPCC) was awarded an AmeriCorps grant directly from the Corporation for National and Community Service that is administered through Governor’s Office as CaliforniaVolunteers. The grant funds the AmeriCorps North State Rural Assets Project (NSRAP) to serve youth and families in our community and provides full-time and part-time AmeriCorps members who serve youth and families in their homes and community as Parent Partners and Skillbuilders. Parent Partners provide mentoring and linkages to other needed community services. Skillbuilders provide assistance to youth and families in developing social, behavioral and problem-solving skills, as well as everyday skills such as money management and time management. Members receive a monthly stipend as well as an education award at the end of their term of service.
Four programs in Probation funded by JJCPA have been developed to include the services of Parent Partners and a Skillbuilder. The WINGS program focuses on reducing recidivism and preventing out-of-home care for minors with mental health issues. One full-time Parent Partner is needed for the WINGS program to provide interventions to the minors and their families by role modeling, supporting development of parenting skills, and identifying and accessing community resources. Also for the WINGS program, one full-time Skillbuilder is needed to teach and model skills that enable youth and their families to problem solve and engage in everyday positive social interactions.
The WINGS II/Collaborative Court program (WINGS II) is for minors who have substance abuse issues and display mental illness when assessed and who have a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) diagnosis. WINGS II uses an interagency family treatment team to meet the needs of the minor and family and establish individualized plans for both. The individualized plans work toward reducing recidivism, improving school attendance, minimizing the need for high level out-of-county placements, and improving the family’s ability to cope with the minor’s mental health issues. Because WINGS II is structured similarly to the WINGS program, it requires one full-time Parent Partner and one full-time Skillbuilder as well.
The Parent Project® program is a twelve-week course for parents that teaches them to understand and practice specific intervention and prevention strategies to eliminate destructive behavior in themselves and their children. A full-time Parent Partner is needed for role modeling and supporting development of parenting skills for the parents of juveniles involved with Probation.
The final Skillbuilder works with youth and families assigned to the Gardening, Responsibility, Ownership of Self and Community Well Being (GROW) program. This program is a re-entry program for at-risk youth in detention and those youth on furlough or released to their parent/guardians designed to lower the re-offense rate by promoting pro-social activities, providing noncriminal alternative activities, and reducing association with criminals by enhancing positive involvement and relationships with pro-social individuals from the community.
Through the AmeriCorps grant, CAPCC will provide up to six full-time equivalent (FTE) AmeriCorps members to work in Parent Partner and Skillbuilder positions. Full-time members work 1,700 hours during the term of the agreement. Full-time AmeriCorps members’ costs are $28,080 for a Parent Partner and $24,640 for a Skillbuilder.
In addition to the cost of the members, Probation will pay up to $500 for pro-social activities and for mileage incurred by the members while performing Parent Partner and Skillbuilder duties. Members are reimbursed at the rate set annually by the Internal Revenue Service. The department projects $17,550 in approximate mileage reimbursement, which brings the total contract to $176,210 for six members, pro-social activities, and contract related mileage.
The Parent Partners and Skillbuilders are essential positions to the success of these programs to enhance the communication bridge between Probation decisions/actions and the affected youth and families. Families need to know and understand the system and programs they are assigned to or participating in so they can establish a role for themselves and monitor their own progress. Having a voice with the courts and program compliance allows families, parents especially, to have some control over outcomes. With peer-type workers, parents get a more personal and satisfying experience, and challenges to individual successes for youth and families are reduced.