Community Programs
Community programs are non-secure residential and non-residential programs for delinquent youth. Utah private providers who contract with JJS to provide services offer most of these programs.
Facts about Community Programs
The goal of Community Programs is to move youth progressively to less structured placements, as determined by youth behavior, until the youth can be safely released to the community.
- Community Programs provide a cost-effective opportunity to provide services to youth outside of a secure environment so they can successfully return to the community.
- Community Programs are primarily provided to two groups of youth:
- Youth committed to JJS for community placement under review of the Juvenile Court.
- Youth paroled from secure facilities and transitioning back to the community under the oversight of the Youth Parole Authority (Community Transitional Programs).
- Residential community placements for youth committed to JJS include:
- Proctor care where youth are placed with a single adult or family
- Generic group homes and also those that specialize in specific treatment: i.e., sex offenders; youth with mental health issues; developmental issues; or alcohol and drug problems
- Wilderness programs
- Boarding schools that specialize in care for seriously delinquent youth
- Non-residential services provided through community programs are used to enhance residential services. Services include:
- Psychiatric evaluations
- Individual and family counseling
- Group therapy
- Tracking
- Vocational training
- Community Transitional Programs serve youth who have left secure facilities and need more services to transition back to the community. These programs have a high level of supervision to ensure community safety. Youth in these residential programs learn to be self-sufficient by participating in:
- Life skills training (e.g., meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking laundry)
- Community service activities
- Recreational activities
- Job training