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| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1622 |
| Mental Health and Family Counseling Services for Juvenile Offenders |
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| Requester: |
Bill Westel |
Organization: |
Lee County Juvenile Justice Council/Juvenile Sanctions Team |
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| Project Title: |
Mental Health and Family Counseling Services for Juvenile Offenders |
Date Submitted |
1/12/2006 5:08:02 PM |
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| Sponsors: |
Aronberg |
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| Statewide Interest: |
| Programs serves to reduce the number of recurring criminal acts committed by Lee County youth, and to reduce the number of youth sent to residential commitment programs due to violations of probation. |
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| Recipient: |
Ruth Cooper Center |
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Contact: |
Jan Eustis, CEO |
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2789 Ortiz Boulevard |
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Contact Phone: |
(239) 275-3222 |
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Fort Myers 33905 |
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Contact email: |
eustisj@rccbhc.org |
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| Counties: |
Lee |
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| Gov't Entity: |
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Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
Yes |
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| Project Description: |
| Program will utilize evidence-based family counseling services (functional and/or multi-dimensional family therapy) to work with 100 juveniles who have been adjudicated and placed on probation with the Department of Juvenile Justice. Many offending youth are in need of mental health/family counseling services (estimated at 1381 juvenile offenders.) Families of juvenile offenders assessed as needing family counseling services often are struggling to adequately control and supervise their child. There is almost a complete absence of family counseling services for juvenile offenders and their families, with waiting lists of 5-6 months. |
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| Is this a project related to a federal or state declared disaster? |
No |
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| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| Many of the youth who remain on waiting lists for family counseling services often commit crimes while waiting for services. If not re-arrested, these youth often violate probation on a frequent basis, increasing VOPs for the court system and resulting in many youth being sent to residential programs at a minimum cost of $34,083 per child. Recidivism rates for youth sent to residential programs are much higher than those for youth who receive appropriate services in the community. Research from the National Mental Health Association indicates recidivism rates for youth who receive community-based mental health and family counseling are 25 to 80 percent lower than those for youth who do not receive those services. |
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| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$268,000 |
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| Total cost of the project: |
$340,360 |
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| Request has been made to fund: |
Operations |
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| What type of match exists for this project? |
Local, Private |
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Cash Amount |
$ |
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In-kind Amount |
$72,360 |
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| Was this project previously funded by the state? |
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No |
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| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? |
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Yes |
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Amount: |
$268,000 |
To Fund: |
Operations |
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| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
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No |
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| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
No |
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| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
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Documentation: |
Mental Health Treatment for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System: Compendium of Practices, 2004 |
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| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? |
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Yes |
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Hearing Body: |
Lee County Legislative Delegation |
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Hearing Meeting Date: |
11/17/2005 |
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| Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida? |
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No |
