About the Bridge Program

Mission

“Nurture change and growth”

Vision

Advocacy… Mentorship… Accountability…while empowering youth to overcome barriers and acquire the necessary skills for a healthy and sustainable transition to young adulthood.

Goal

Provide a seven-day community-based alternative and diversion for adjudicated and dependent youth by working collaboratively with county agencies, schools, youth, families, and the community. Bridge provides community-based support to address individual needs and environmental factors that may lead to at-risk behaviors.

Program Overview

The Diakon Bridge Program has been providing services to male and female youth with an age range from 10 to 19 years of age. Bridge utilizes a four-level system. Rewards and program incentives are incorporated. Bridge is a community-based program servicing male and female youth making at-risk decisions. Bridge mentors engage and motivate youth and families. Support is provided in the community, home, and school.

Objective

Bridge embraces a strength-based approach to engage youth and families. SMART goals are developed and supported. Bridge mentors develop relationships with each individual youth participating in the program. Mentors are diverse in experience and education. Motivational Interviewing and Trama-Informed Care training is required for all staff. Bridge services include curriculum that meet the needs associated with each youth and their goal plan. Programming is provided at home, school, and in the community.

Core Service Objectives

Academic Support
SMART Goal Development and Support
Competency Development Needs
Individual Curriculum
Family Engagement
Substance Use Education (Project Towards No Drug Abuse)
24 / 7 GPS Monitoring (If court ordered and requested).
24 / 7 On-call Crisis Management
Accountability
Earned Competency-Based Financial Incentives to pay Restitution, Fines, and Court Costs.
Workforce Development Skills (If age appropriate).
Pro-social Leisure activity support
Employment

Education

IEP Support
Truancy
GED Support
Academic Support

Family Engagement

Family Goal Plan
Family Meetings
Triple P (If requested by County)

Accountability (BARJ)

Community Service Projects.
Apology letters / Community retribution
Financial arrangements for restitution, fines, and court costs.
GPS Electronic Monitoring (Court Ordered)

Substance Use

Drug and Alcohol Education
Community Outreach
Substance Abuse Treatment Support

Forward Thinking for Youthful Offenders

Forward Thinking uses evidence-based strategies to support youth in making positive changes. Youth are supported individually, by their Bridge Mentor, during the process of completing identified topics.

What Got Me Here?
Individual Change Plan
Responsible Behavior
Victim Awareness
Relationships and Communication
Handling Difficult Feelings

York Bridge YCJVI Track

The Bridge York County Juvenile Violence Initiative serves high risk identified youth offenders. CrossRoads curriculum can be delivered in a highly interactive group setting, or via individual mentorship appointments. GPS monitors students 24 hours a day and 7 days per week. On-call services are provided to assist with after-hours and weekend monitoring. Unauthorized leaves and equipment tampers are reported to the county on-call supervisor during the weekend and overnight hours or per the reporting requests of the county worker. York County is billed for lost or damaged GPS equipment.

Diakon mentors will partner with identified representatives in York County for regular planning meetings and pro-social activities. Youth will participate in workforce development activities and have an opportunity to earn employment certifications. A No Show Rate is billed for youth participating in the Bridge JVI track. Bridge staff will bill up to 30 minutes scheduled appointments that youth do not attend.

Features:

Crossroads Curriculum
Real Colors Personality Assessment
Workforce Development Activities
GPS Monitoring
Earned Incentives
Community Service Projects
Pro-Social Leisure Activities

Workforce Development (Age-Appropriate Youth)

Servsafe certification: Servsafe is the safe handling of food and beverages certification program. Youth participate in virtual learning followed by a certification exam. Upon successful completion of the exam, youth will be awarded a five year Servsafe certification.
CareerSafe Training: The CareerSafe Online Safety Awareness Training course provides youth with basic safety awareness training. Topics covered include, preventing falls, personal protective equipment, electrical safety, hazard communication, machine guarding, and other common workplace safety principles that provide a basic foundation of workplace safety practices. Youth who successfully complete the CareerSafe Online Safety Awareness training course receive a CareerSafe Online Safety Awareness training completion wallet card.
Pennsylvania Academic & Career Technical Training: Provides guidance and uniformity to the work-ready training provided to youth. The training provides 27 employability competencies, organized under five general domains that are checked off as youth successfully fulfill the competency. This is designed for preparation for successful employment for youths.
CareerScope Online: CareerScope Online measures both interest and aptitude through valid and reliable career assessment tasks. CareerScope Online identifies the youths attraction to careers as they relate to the U.S. Department of Labor Interest Areas and measures aptitudes that are most critical for today’s high growth and high replacement occupations.

Aggression Replacement Training

(A.R.T) is evidence based proven-effective approach for working with challenging youth. A cognitive behavioral intervention program to help students improve social skill competence and critical thinking, better manage anger, and reduce aggressive behavior. Individual ART curriculum and activities are available to support identified goals. The three components of ART are:

Aggression Replacement Training features three coordinated and integrated components:

Social Skills Training—Teaches students what to do, helping them replace antisocial behaviors with positive alternatives, assisting them in developing positive approaches to stressful and threatening situations.

Anger Control— Students relate examples of anger-arousing experiences from situations that occurred to reinforce the skills learned. Role playing assists in teaching students what not to do, helping them respond to anger in a nonaggressive manner and rethink anger-provoking situations.

Critical Thinking— Raises student’s awareness of other points of view and teaches youth to view their world in a fairer manner and equitable way. Helps raise student’s level of fairness, justice, and concern for the needs and rights of others.

Program Level System

Intake Interview with Youth and Parent / Guardian: Youth and a parent or guardian are informed of the expectations and opportunities of the Bridge Program. Goals are identified and specific action steps developed. Goal plans and releases are signed by all parties. Contact information is shared and a schedule of contacts with the mentor is created.

Level I: Stabilize - Mentor spends 2-3 hours individually per week for approximately 4 program weeks.Youth and Mentor begin program engagement and relationship building interactions. Youth mentors will consult with youth, family, and county worker to identify youth needs. The SMART Individual Goal Plan is developed during Level 1 and typically within the first 30 days of service. The mentor is responsible for checking with the parent / guardian every week to get feedback on behavior at home. The weekly update will include information regarding the youth’s ability to follow house rules, being respectful, chore completion, and accepting and following through with consequences. The mentor is also available to support families creating and clarifying expectations and rules for youth. When needed, the Mentor is also available to conduct a family meeting to support the family working through issues related with house rules, chores, and creating fair consequences and incentive.

The mentor is also responsible for reporting school performance, attendance, and grades. The main focus is on stabilizing the youth at home, school and community by concentrating efforts on building a trusting relationship, gathering all necessary information from home and school to accurately understand and report weekly improvements and setbacks, as well as understand how to best support the youth.
Level II: Basic Goal Progress - Youth Mentor spends 2-3 hours individually per week for approximately 8 program weeks. Individual Goal Plan is implemented during this level. Youth Mentors will utilize program curriculum when educating youth on identified needs from their goal plan. Youth motivation towards change with each identified goal is assessed.
Level III: Advanced Goal Progress - Youth Mentor spends 2-3 hours individually with youth per week for approximately 8 program weeks. Individual Goal Plan progress continues during Level III. Youth Mentors will continue to utilize program curriculum when educating youth on identified needs from their goal plan. Youth motivation towards change with each identified goal is assessed. When youth enter a “maintenance” level of change they will proceed to Level IV. Goals are reviewed and revised to capture any completed goals. The goal plan reviews take place approximately 90 days from the initial goal plan meeting.
Level IV: Transition - Mentor spends 1-2 hours individually with youth per week for approximately 4 program weeks. The main focus is on final goal completion, curriculum / certificate completion, and outstanding county stipulations. Youth may remain in the transition level if there is still an identified need or request from the county worker.

Second Chance Community Redemption Incentive

Students that have accumulated court costs, fines, and restitution may earn financial incentives for program participation and completion. Students are required to meet the following criteria to earn the incentive:

Student participation in programming and competency projects are documented. Community service projects incentives are earned for successful planning and completion of the actual hands-on community service project. Non-profit organizations in the surrounding community are targeted sites for community service projects.

As funds are earned, program staff will accompany students to courthouse to pay costs, fines and restitution utilizing Diakon company credit cards. Non-profit organizations in the surrounding community are targeted sites for community service projects. The Second Chance opportunity is funded solely by community and employee donor dollars committed to second chances through personal growth.

Program Reporting

Communication is a critical element with program staff, families, schools, and the youth agency departments. The Juvenile Probation Department and Children Youth and Families Agency receive a monthly report. The Monthly Assessment Reports monitor progress in the program and Signature Encounter Forms document date and times when client appointment is kept.

In addition to the weekly assessment reports, the Diakon Bridge Program provides a discharge summary. The Discharge Summary tracks the student’s performance in the program. The student’s completion status is documented as a graduate or successful completion. In addition, the following areas will be summarized:

Total documented community service hours.
Documented competency development needs fulfilled.
Program Participation Summary.
Education Summary.
Family Engagement Summary.

Bridge mentors provide Incident Reports when necessary. These logs are beneficial in reporting an issue of concern disclosed by the youth, or to document an incident that would result in a discharge from the program. In addition to the monthly reports and discharge documentation. Case managers are available for court testimony.

Outcomes

Diakon Bridge program currently measures the following areas through pre / post assessments and family participation.

Improved School Attendance
Avoid Out of Home Placement
No New Criminal Acts
Minimum of One Workforce Development Activity

The county contact will provide referral documentation and scheduled intake interviews in coordination with the county worker and family. Referring parties should expect a response within 24 hours of receiving a referral and an intake interview within a week, contingent upon the response time of the referred family. Referring county workers should expect a notification of acceptance, denial, or non-compliance of the family within the week an intake interview is conducted.

Intake

The Bridge program will schedule and conduct an intake interview with the county workers and family members. The Bridge worker will provide an overview of the Bridge program and answer any questions the family and county worker have. The family and county workers are required to sign the release of information and parental consent form.

Case Closure

Once the team decides if a youth and family have achieved their goals or require additional services, the Bridge program schedules, and conducts a case closure meeting with all available members of the team. The team will discuss the success and barriers that were experienced, as well as complete the youth and parent survey within 2 weeks of program discharge.