Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee
Awards $206,076 to Youth Consultation Service Center
for the Prevention of Violence

TRENTON - The New Jersey Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Committee has, for the third consecutive year, awarded a grant to Youth Consultation Service (YCS) of Union City for a multi-systemic therapy (MST) project. This year's award is in the amount of $206,076. The program will address the needs of 45 youth annually.

The JJC, which is the designated planning authority for the allocation of federal grant funds, works with the JJDP Committee to identify appropriate programs, award funds and monitor their success. The JJDP Committee is responsible for the distribution of more than $3 million in federal grants to local and state agencies. The JJDP Committee reviews proposals for programs that aim to reduce delinquency and/or seek to create local delinquency prevention strategies. Programs that receive funding work with individuals, families and communities to reduce the risk factors associated with delinquency.

Our Committee has been very impressed with the work done by the Youth Consultation Service Center for the Prevention of Violence over the past two years and we're glad to provide this third and final year of grant support, said Committee Chairperson B. Thomas Leahy. We sincerely hope that continued funding can be found for this valuable program.

YCS will serve as a placement option for family court judges for juveniles in Hudson County. The program targets female adolescents, Latinos, and Africa American youth for whom there are few effective services available. This initiative is part of the JJC's State Incentive Program (SIP) that seeks interventions to successfully divert youth from entering the JJC.

"The Juvenile Justice Commission is committed to helping local communities address the specific needs of their young people. We are proud to be part of a partnership that takes a proactive approach to help adolescents and their families," said Howard L. Beyer, Executive Director, Juvenile Justice Commission. "We know that the earlier we reach out to children, the better chance we have of ensuring that they lead productive lives."

Created in 1995 to bring together services for delinquent youth, the JJC is the state agency responsible for providing juvenile correctional rehabilitation and parole services. The JJC also funds local prevention programs to divert youth from involvement in the juvenile justice system.

YCS strives to reduce recidivism among participating youth by helping youth maintain adequate academic levels and attendance in an educational program that meets their needs and by improving the ability of parents/guardians to discipline and nurture youth.

YCS has selected the MST model because it is designed to address the needs of youth who have the more serious behavioral problems. "Youth Consultation Service is thrilled that the JJC is providing funding to continue its multi-systemic therapy Program in Hudson County," said Michael B. Greene, Ph.D., Director, YCS Center for the Prevention of Violence. "The program enables adjudicated youth who might otherwise have been committed to JJC secure facilities to therapeutic family-based support to enable them to reside and thrive in their communities."

MST has been identified by the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) as a Blueprint Program based on rigorous research outcomes and inclusion of key program components that address the needs of delinquent youth.

The project is monitored by staff from the Program Development and Prevention Services arm of the JJC's Office of Local Programs and Services.

For more information on the JJC, please visit www.njjjc.com