FWSN-advisorybd-repo.. - The Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance

eferral. Following that period a short term implementation plan is developed with the
family. The two components of the plan include: 1. accessing community services and
support, and 2. accessing support available through family, friends and community
networks. Southwest Family Keys Program Report for 2005 states the following,
“Because of the services Family Keys offers, 1219, 95% of total youth serviced have
been diverted for probation and court involvement.” 73
The program was expanded in 2004 to provide services to youth and families involved
with the Family Court as a result of a PINs petition having been filed for runaway. The
program works with the family during the pendency of the cases to provide services and
support, the Family Support Caseworker is available to attend court hearings and once a
child is found or returns home they continue to work with the family to follow through
with the plan made by the Family Court. If a child is placed out of his or her home for
short term evaluation, the Family Support Caseworker works with the placement agency
to assist with family involvement and discharge planning. The program report conveys
the following outcome data: “Because of the services that the Family Keys Runaway
Program offers, 36 youth, 84% of total youth services, have been diverted from probation
and out-of–home placement.” 74
In 2005, the Southwest Family Keys opened the “Community Connections Program”.
The program is designed to provide a structured continuum of care for children as an
alternative to out-of-home placement. The program has three distinct components: The
“Intensive Youth Services” (IYS), “Evening Support Services” and the “Independent
Living Skills Program”. Each of the programs has distinct features.
• Reform Efforts in Florida
To address the service needs of the “FINS” and “CINS” status offenders, Florida
developed a state administered, community-based array of services. Under the model,
the State Department of Juvenile Justice awards and administers contracts. The contracts
are managed by a State Network Office. The State Network Office provides contract
monitoring, programming resources, training, data collection and analysis and public
information material. Twenty-five community-based, non-profit agencies operate
twenty-seven (two are county government operated) shelters and three stand alone nonresidential
counseling centers.
These programs provide services on a 24 hour/7 day per week basis for crisis
intervention, triage and assessment, for “FINS” children. The shelters provide voluntary
temporary respite care, for “CINS” children the shelters provide court-ordered staff
secure temporary care. There are non-residential services provided to families as well as
case management and referral to other services, such as mental health and substance
abuse assessments and treatment, if needed.
73 Source: Southwest Key Program, Inc. Program Report, Orange County Family Keys, Community
Connections 2005.(New York, 2005) 6
74 Ibid, 6
95