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| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1396 |
| PACE Center for Girls, Inc. Evidence Based Program |
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| Requester: |
Donna Gallagher, President & CEO |
Organization: |
PACE Center for Girls, Inc |
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| Project Title: |
PACE Center for Girls, Inc. Evidence Based Program |
Date Submitted |
1/4/2008 10:43:20 AM |
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| Sponsors: |
Atwater |
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| Statewide Interest: |
| This project is statewide and meets a need documented by the Department of Juvenile Justice for gender-specific, evidence based programs. Almost 30% of juveniles referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice are girls (DJJ website). PACE Center for Girls is a nationally recognized prevention program for adolescent at-risk girls. PACE operates in 18 counties throughout Florida providing gender responsive programming for more than 2,300 girls annually. For 23 years, PACE has been successful at reducing justice system involvement for the girls enrolled in their programs. In PACE�s 2006-2007 outcomes report, 89% of girls remained out of the delinquency system a year after having left PACE and 79% of girls were enrolled in college or were employed 3 years after leaving PACE. |
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| Recipient: |
PACE Center for Girls, Inc |
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Contact: |
Donna Gallagher |
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One West Adams St, Ste 301 |
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Contact Phone: |
(904) 421-8585 |
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Jacksonville, FL 32202 |
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Contact email: |
Gallagher@pacecenter.org |
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| Counties: |
Alachua, Broward, Collier, Duval, Escambia, Hillsborough, Lee, Leon, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, St. Lucie, Volusia |
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| Gov't Entity: |
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Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): |
Yes |
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| Project Description: |
| Girls continue to enter the juvenile justice system at higher rates than boys, with nearly 30% of youth arrested being female (DJJ website). Despite research documenting gender differences in pathways to delinquency, and the passage of HB1989 requiring gender specific programming across the juvenile justice continuum, there is inconsistency in the degree to which girls programs are gender specific and in the availability of gender-specific programs for all girls across the continuum of services within DJJ (OPPAGA). PACE provides a multi-faceted, gender-responsive prevention program that serves girls with complex and interconnected risk factors. PACE integrates skills training, counseling, and educational assistance in a comprehensive yet individualized manner. PACE�s work is based on the Friedman Model of performance accountability, a clearly articulated and nationally recognized theory of change. PACE�s day programs provide education; individual, group and family counseling; life management training; communication skills; career awareness; healthy lifestyles choices; and violence prevention. PACE identifies six gender-specific risk factors characteristic of the girls it serves: school failure, family instability and conflict, early sexual activity and pregnancy, delinquent behavior, victimization, and behaviors that can endanger health. PACE programs and services produce measurable outcomes for girls directly linked to the services received from participation in PACE within six outcome strategy areas; including recidivism, behaviors, vocations, community connectedness, education, and families. �Evidence-based� refers to programs that are rooted in research and demonstrate desired outcomes, have disciplined program implementation, and use appropriate assessment and evaluation systems. PACE�s programs have a strong theoretical foundation and were developed for an appropriate population of girls. PACE has high quality data collection procedures that demonstrate evidence of effectiveness. During the 2007-2008 legislative session, PACE received recurring funding to expand, opening an expanded facility in Collier Co., a new facility in Lee Co., and serving additional girls throughout the state. The proposed use of nonrecurring funds would enable PACE to enhance gender-specific, evidence based programming for girls enrolled at PACE and in other prevention programs, as well as support the development of gender-specific, evidence based training and assessment tools to be used across the DJJ continuum. This request for non-recurring funds will allow PACE to more effectively serve girls by providing greater access to gender-responsive training to staff from PACE and other programs serving girls within DJJ. Additionally, PACE, in collaboration with DJJ staff and university researchers, will norm and validate the gender-responsive assessment instrument PACE created for use with girls. The Girls Study Group, a multi-disciplinary group of researchers and practitioners funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and convened to study causes and consequences of female delinquency and effective strategies to prevent and reduce this involvement, recommends developing separate assessment instruments for girls. PACE has developed this assessment instrument and will have it normed and validated with girls so that it can be used with other prevention programs serving girls in Florida, and across the DJJ continuum as appropriate. From a public safety perspective, it is in the best interests of DJJ to employ strategies that effectively prevent juvenile delinquency and minimize recidivism. From a fiscal perspective, it is in the best interests of the public to focus investments in programs, such as PACE, that have proven effective at meeting these goals. This request will also ensure effective accountability and stewardship by enhancing the infrastructure required to replicate PACE�s evidence based training and assessments, as well as enhance PACE�s financial management, data collection and technology systems to impact efficiency and internal and external information flow for state and federal reporting standards. |
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| Is this a project related to a federal or state declared disaster? |
No |
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| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: |
| PACE�s two primary, long-term, outcome performance measures are based on research into the causes of female juvenile delinquency: 1. Reduce additional and/or prevent program participants' involvement in disciplinary programs in school, criminal activity, and the juvenile justice system by reducing or eliminating high-risk behaviors; a. 90% of all youth shall not be adjudicated or have adjudication withheld while enrolled in the program. b. 85% of all youth shall not be adjudicated or have adjudication withheld within 6 months of release from PACE. c. 75% of youth shall not be adjudicated or have adjudication withheld within one year of transition of the program. 2. Improve school success, youth employment, and self-sufficiency. Additionally, this project will institutionalize PACE�s core training, making it available to other DJJ programs, and result in an evidence based prevention assessment instrument developed for, and normed on, girls that can also be used across the DJJ continuum. |
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| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: |
$500,000 |
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| Total cost of the project: |
$615,000 |
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| Request has been made to fund: |
Operations |
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| What type of match exists for this project? |
Private |
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Cash Amount |
$115,000 |
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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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No |
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| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? |
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Yes |
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Agency |
Juvenile Justice, Department Of |
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| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? |
Unknown |
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| Is there a documented need for this project? |
Yes |
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Documentation: |
DJJ neds assessment for services in Strategic Plan/Bluepring Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform. |
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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: |
Legislative Delegation Broward County |
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| Is this a water project as described in Section 403.885, Laws of Florida? |
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No |
