Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee
Awards $170,000 to Saint Barnabus Behavioral Health Institute for Prevention

TRENTON - The New Jersey Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Committee has awarded a grant of $170,000 to Saint Barnabus Behavioral Health Institute for Prevention. The Saint Barnabus Behavioral Health Institute will use the funds for its program, "Project G.R.O.W." - Girls Reaching Overall Wellness.

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 risk factors associated with delinquency.

"The need for quality delinquency prevention programs for girls in this state has been markedly increasing as girls become more and more involved in delinquency," said Committee Chairperson B. Thomas Leahy. "Our committee is pleased to be able to provide support for this comprehensive response to a very real community need."

Project G.R.O.W. will focus its efforts on 30 young women from Monmouth and Ocean Counties, aged 14 to 18, who have already been involved in, or who are at-risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. Project G.R.O.W. will work with the young women for one year.

"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.

Project G.R.O.W. will use a gender-specific case management approach to provide services to the program participants and their families to support personal, social and emotional needs. This comprehensive program will assess, address and ensure access to critical physical, mental and behavioral health services for at-risk and delinquent juvenile females. It will also provide health education and life-skills training to promote a healthy and drug-free lifestyle.

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