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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary........................... i

Introduction

Key to Success......................... 1

Vision.............................. 1

Mission............................ 2

Guiding Principles......................... 2

Comprehensive Strategy Themes.................. 3

Risk Data and Definitions

Risk Data Profile........................ 4

Definitions of a Continuum of Prevention and Graduated Sanctions.... 5

Assessment of Existing Resources in the Region

Identified Gaps in the Continuum................... 6

Addressing Juvenile Crime

San Diego's Plan for Addressing Juvenile Crime............ 10

Recommendations for an Effective Continuum of Services, From

Prevention Through Graduated Sanctions............... 19

Recommendations for Implementation, Management, and Evaluation

('Infrastructure')........................ 20

Accomplishments and Branching Impacts................ 21

Implementation

Implementing the Comprehensive Strategy............... 23

Benchmarks: How Will We Know When We Get There?......... 23

Forecasting the Future

Major Trends......................... 25

Projections.......................... 27

Summary.............................. 28

Appendix.............................. 29
 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED)
 
 

Attachment 1: Summary of Community Risk Profile Data...... 31

Attachment 2: Inventory of Existing Resources............ 33

Attachment 3: Gender Specific Programming, County and

Attachment 5: San Diego Regional Risk & Resiliency

During the last decade, San Diego County experienced an upswing in juvenile crime and violence. Youth used and sold drugs. Youth armed themselves with weapons. Juvenile homicide rates rose. Dire predictions of a future filled with "super predators" frightened the public. Curfews were reinstated. "Zero Tolerance" initiatives were enacted for drugs and weapons on school campuses, and school police forces came into existence. Legislative and political agendas within the state and county responded to the community's cry for tighter controls on juveniles in the interest of public safety. This was a shift from a child welfare focus to one of juvenile accountability.

In early 1996, San Diego County Board of Supervisor Ron Roberts met with Shay Bilchik, Administrator, United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of San Diego County in dealing with juvenile delinquency. San Diego County was looking for new approaches, cutting edge strategies and guidance from experts across the country to continue and expand our efforts in promoting positive development of youth and preventing juvenile delinquency. San Diego County was ready and able to implement OJJDP's new Comprehensive Strategy for Serious, Violent, and Chronic Juvenile Offenders. As a result, San Diego became one of the first three sites in the nation to be provided with technical assistance from OJJDP for the implementation of this strategy.

In May 1996, consultants hired by OJJDP from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) and Developmental Research and Programs (DRP) conducted a site visit to San Diego to begin the planning and training processes for the Comprehensive Strategy. During this visit, NCCD and DRP provided training outlining the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Strategy for more than 50 county and community policy makers and key leaders. Following key leader buy-in, in December 1996, the consultants conducted a three-day training for more than 200 line staff and community members. During this training, individuals, agencies and organizations made a full commitment to join and participate in, both as initial planners and long-term members with, the San Diego County Comprehensive Strategy Team. Two task forces (Graduated Sanctions & Prevention) were created to continue the planning process for the Comprehensive Strategy Plan over the next year. In April 1997, the Comprehensive Strategy Planners altered their original structure and combined the two task forces into one. It was important to note that San Diego believed it was essential to have a united team, working side by side, with clear communication as the planning process was moving forward. San Diego's Comprehensive Strategy Team (CST) formed six work groups to deal specifically with issues of resource development, coordination, community engagement, advocacy, key leader buy-in and information sharing. The technical assistance from the NCCD and DRP culminated in a two-day workshop in October 1997, with more than 150 participants developing six promising approaches to fill the needs and gaps identified in the continuum of services, from prevention through graduated

sanctions.
 
 

SHARED VISION____________________________________________

San Diego's Comprehensive Strategy Plan was developed with input from diverse sources that contributed experience, professional expertise, national, state and local data and statistics, and many creative ideas and methodologies. Researchers, front-line staff, executives and community representatives worked together to craft a course of action. Our strategic plan proposes an integrated systems approach with an expectation of sustained and measured results. This plan was based upon the shared vision that all of San Diego's youth will develop into Caring, Literate, Educated And Responsible (CLEAR) community members. In order to achieve this vision, the Comprehensive Strategy Plan and Team must continue to represent a regional, coordinated effort and stay focused as it continues to work to strengthen communities and families to develop healthy, responsible youth through prevention, intervention and appropriate graduated sanctions.
 
 

MISSION____________________________________________________

The mission of the Comprehensive Strategy Team is to:

• Strengthen families and communities by developing youth who are Caring, Literate, Educated And Responsible (CLEAR);
• Support core institutions, such as schools, health care providers, government agencies, faith communities and community-based organizations in their role in developing youth;
• Emphasize prevention as the most cost-effective approach to the reduction of delinquency;
• Provide immediate and effective intervention with youth at their first sign of problems or inappropriate behavior;
• Institute a broad range of care and rehabilitative services;
• Reduce duplication of effort and fill service gaps; and
• Help communities to define and establish effective collaboration.

KEY TO SUCCESS___________________________________________

Policy makers, key leaders, youth and family-serving organizations and community members worked together from the beginning as a strong team in a coordinated fashion to create a vision, mission, strategies and design for the San Diego County Comprehensive Strategy Plan. It is vital to include, from the onset, community residents and youth, in discussions and planning. Their input, buy in and support are crucial to the implementation and sustainability of the Comprehensive Strategy Plan. It was the first time a collaboration of this magnitude occurred in the county specific to juvenile justice. Leadership and support from San Diego's policy and decision makers for the vision, process of cross-system teamwork, and support of community grass roots efforts are key to the success of the Comprehensive Strategy in San Diego County.
 
 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES______________________________________

San Diego's Comprehensive Strategy Plan will serve as a blueprint for community action and collaboration. It provides a broad spectrum of recommendations that will help mobilize youth, adults, agencies and organizations to strengthen youth, families and communities. The strategy must make everyone aware of our shared vision. No single individual, organization or agency can address all of the factors contributing to juvenile delinquency and violence. Working together, however, local leaders, representatives of public and private groups, schools and individual community members, including youth, can bring about systems change and strategies that work. Borrowing from OJJDP, the San Diego County Comprehensive Strategy Plan begins with the same five general principles:
 
 

Comprehensive Strategy planners thoroughly reviewed risk data for the County of San Diego. (Attachment 1-Summary of Community Risk Profile Data.) It is critical during the planning process to identify trends, shifts and significant increases and decreases in data related not just to at-risk behavior, but also to specific juvenile crime and conviction information. Specific statistics for the juvenile criminal justice system follow:

San Diego County Comprehensive Strategy Team recognized that having common language, terminology and definitions was crucial for organizations, agencies, community members and youth to effectively work as a cohesive team in all aspects of the planning process. In order to ensure the continuing participation of all team members, a commitment must be made to clearly define a shared language and frequently used terms that can be understood by those outside of the juvenile justice field. San Diego County Comprehensive Strategy Team defined the following key terms:

REGION____________________________________________________

During the planning of the San Diego County Local Action Plan (SB1760), a Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council was convened. This council was appointed by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and is required by law. It is chaired by the Chief Probation Officer and appointees include representatives of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Administrative Officer, District Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff, San Diego Police Department, Education, Chair of the Juvenile Justice Commission, Executive Directors of Community Agencies, Alcohol and other Drug Service Providers, Mental Health, Social Service, Juvenile Court and community-at-large members. This Council is the support and implementation body of the San Diego County Comprehensive Plan. The Council and the Comprehensive Strategy Team began with the premise that delinquency and violence have multiple causes, with many occurring simultaneously. Effective resolution and treatment requires that a broad spectrum of locally based resources be available to meet multiple needs. They also recognized that San Diego County has gained national recognition as a leader in developing collaborative, integrated service delivery models for addressing the multiple needs of at-risk children and their families. The Council extensively inventoried existing resources throughout San Diego County for the research and development of the San Diego Local Action Plan (SB1760). The Comprehensive Strategy Team, holding true to ending duplication and redundancy, used this detailed information when addressing needs and gaps in the County. (Attachment 2-Inventory of Existing Resources.)
 
 

IDENTIFIED NEEDS AND GAPS IN THE CONTINUUM_________

The Comprehensive Strategy planners used a structured decision-making approach to develop consensus on those service needs and gaps deemed most critical to the Comprehensive Strategy implementation. These critical needs and gaps were categorized into one of the following areas:

TABLE 1 - Results of Survey To Identify Critical Program Needs and Gaps in the San Diego Region
 
 

Top Five Need and Gap Areas: (prioritized by number of times appearing in top 5):

• Substance abuse treatment for youth and families at all steps of the continuum (in- and outpatient);
• Afterschool programs for middle school age youth and latency age programs, both on and off school campuses;
• Parent education, training, support and home visitation;
• Vocational/technical training, especially in skilled trades; and
• Specific programs for girls.

• Services for abused adolescents, runaway and homeless youth;
• Aftercare reintegration and step-down programs with intensive family work, for all youth, including those from CYA;
• Community policing;
• Halfway houses for clean and sober youth targeted to specific ethnic groups;
• Community recreation;
• Day treatment programs;
• Emancipation/independent living skills;
• Early gang prevention and intervention;
• Graduation incentives;
• Specific juvenile sex offender programs;
• Literacy programs for all ages of youth;
• Mental health services for all family members;
• Mentoring programs;
• Recruiting program linkages;
• Residential programs;
• Residential and day treatment for offenders who are pregnant and parenting teens;
• Early screening and intervention for high risk factors/behaviors across community systems;
• Teen birth control clinics accessible regionally and institutionally; and
• Services and programs for victims of gang violence.

Table 3 - Results of Survey to Identify Critical Concrete, Support Services needs and GAPS in the San Diego Region
 

Concrete support services necessary for primary treatment programming to be effective include: Basic housing necessities, including utilities; Quality child care that is affordable and accessible; Clothing; Family preservation services and home support (including parenting classes); Graduation incentives; Quality health services that are affordable and accessible; Income maintenance; Independent living skills;  Job training and placement; Mentoring support; and Transportation.

 
 

Table 4 - Results of Survey to Identify Critical Infrastructure Needs and GAPS in the San Diego Region
 

Infrastructure needs and gaps (policy, process and procedural elements) that must be in place to 'hold' the system together and to work effectively: Accountability tools, such as ongoing quality assurance and system outcome measures, sanctions for not being a team player and holding participants in every subsystem accountable to the whole; Adoption of a systemwide approach to funding new and expanding programs, based upon risk and resource assessments; Common definitions of geographic boundaries and service delivery areas among all public agency systems to be used for planning and needs assessments. Allocation of resources, services, management of indicator data, etc. to facilitate integrated planning, service delivery, data sharing and outcome evaluation; Community development approaches that involve the community (including business) and youth in program planning, development and implementation, and support their involvement and commitment in developing safer community environments; Community education on service delivery systems and the role of the juvenile justice system throughout the county; Consistency among law enforcement agencies on policy and partnering strategies in developing and implementing the Comprehensive Strategy; Cross-systems training; Local control of state and federal funding; Management information and communication systems that allow accurate and efficient data collection, data compilation and data sharing to occur across multiple agencies (where allowed by law); Memorandums of agreement/understanding between programs and collaborating agencies that define responsibilities and roles for implementing a coordinated approach to working with at-risk youth and families; More participants in the Comprehensive Strategy effort (e.g., more school districts, youth and community members); Reintegration of students who have been expelled (reexamine zero tolerance policy); Risk and needs assessments for communities; Risk and needs assessments for at-risk youth at all stages of the continuum and across program boundaries; and Strategies to integrate approaches for abused as well as delinquent youth and their families, including coordination with the system planning efforts and delivery functions of the Heartbeat project.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AN EFFECTIVE CONTINUUM OF SERVICES, FROM PREVENTION THROUGH GRADUATED SANCTIONS_________________________________________________

Historically, government has responded to youth problems by providing services to address symptoms. This often results in an inefficient use of scarce resources. Children labeled as delinquent traditionally enter the correctional system, which has been unable to address underlying family issues and other problems. Youth intervention agencies identify some children as abused or neglected, remove them from their homes, and place them in foster care, but agencies fail or are unable to provide family support or preventive mental health services. Children with acute mental health needs are placed in secure psychiatric settings with little opportunity for treatment in community-based, family-oriented mental health programs.

Fragmentation does not serve anyone effectively — youth, families, communities or systems. The system is expensive and often fails to solve youths' problems. Comprehensive, integrated and targeted collaborative efforts can more effectively assess the needs of at-risk youth, implement promising strategies and maximize community resources.

Communities and families must have the primary role in preventing juvenile delinquency. All community members — business leaders, media representatives, teachers, parents and grandparents, youth, policy makers, faith leaders, elected officials and law enforcement — are responsible for ensuring the health and well-being of children. When all members of the community work together to achieve common goals, everyone benefits from the strength of the working partnership.

The following recommendations are presented to fill identified needs and gaps in the continuum of services. These recommendations are also intended to help San Diego communities and neighborhoods with community development and mobilization that will support them in identifying and prioritizing problems, creating opportunities and implementing solutions, as well as strengthen and enhance existing efforts focused on prevention.

Recommendation #1 - Community Mobilization: Increase the number of community members (individuals and families, schools, businesses, organizations and service providers) engaged to mobilize and promote crime-free, healthy communities that are safe places for children to learn and grow.

Recommendation #2 - Community Risk and Resource Assessments: Adopt instruments to assess and identify local community needs, resources and priorities for development of community-based prevention programs that target at-risk youth and juvenile offenders.
 
 
 
 

Recommendation # 3 - Substance Abuse Efforts: Support the recommendations of San Diego's 1996 Substance Abuse Summit, 1996 Methamphetamine Strike Force and the San Diego County Juvenile Forensics Services on integrated approaches for the prevention of youth alcohol and substance abuse.

Recommendation #4 - Community Norms: Support development and adoption of community laws and norms that guard against substance abuse, weapon possession and all aspects of juvenile delinquency, and encourage positive alternatives.

Recommendation #5 - Risk and Treatment Needs Instruments: Adopt shared, structured decision-making instruments for assessing individual at risk youth and their families. Promote and secure consensus on use of these instruments from all involved public and private agencies.
 
 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION, MANAGEMENT AND EVALUATION

('INFRASTRUCTURE')________________________________________

San Diego is fortunate to have broad support for our comprehensive planning efforts from many elected officials and other juvenile justice policymakers, community leaders, public and private program administrators, schools, law enforcement and community programs and groups. However, given the large size of our region, both geographic and population (4,200 square miles, 18 incorporated cities and more communities within these cities and unincorporated areas) and the ethnic and cultural diversity of our communities, we must continue to garner regional community support and broad involvement - especially from youth and families.

Based upon on the OJJDP Guide description of key activities necessary for successful implementation of a comprehensive plan to reduce juvenile crime and delinquency, San Diego's Comprehensive Strategy planners developed the following recommendations to address critical infrastructure needs.

Recommendation #6 - Systemwide, Balanced Approach to Funding: Promote a balanced approach to funding prevention, early intervention and graduated sanctions programs that consider both safety needs of the community and treatment needs of at-risk and juvenile offenders, and their families.

Recommendation #7 - Public Outreach Strategy: Develop a comprehensive, countywide public outreach strategy that continuously engages the public and policy makers in the prevention and the reduction of juvenile crime and in the promotion of healthy and crime-free lifestyles.

Recommendation #8 - Cross-Systems Training: Provide cross-systems training between public and private agency providers to acquire common language and methodologies and promote collaborative efforts.

Recommendation #9 - Interagency Agreements: Develop formal interagency agreements (e.g. Memorandums of Understanding or Agreement) that explicitly state the relationships, roles, responsibilities and expected outcomes for all parties in collaborative efforts to reduce juvenile crime and delinquency, and promote positive development of youth.

Recommendation #10 - Case Management and Process Control: Develop a case management system that follows each youth through the various stages of the continuum of care. Designate the Chief Probation Officer with responsibility and resources needed to coordinate an interagency, centralized intake process, case management and program control (including assessment, monitoring and feedback) for identified at-risk and juvenile offenders.

Recommendation #11 - Management Information System: Build on existing management information system (MIS) efforts to facilitate relevant communication and data sharing by all criminal justice agencies and collaborating entities (public and private) consistent with appropriate protection of privacy rights.

Recommendation #12 - Evaluation: Provide for locally relevant ongoing evaluation of programs, agencies and strategies to ensure effectiveness and to allocate resources based upon need and documented effectiveness.
 
 

BENCHMARKS______________________________________________

The Comprehensive Strategy Team designated specific benchmarks to identify successful completion of the recommendations. Each recommendation is accompanied by concrete outcomes that will demonstrate to the community an effective collaboration with sustainable and measurable results.
 

Benchmarks: How Will We Know When We Get There?
1. Community Mobilization	The percentage of community members (individuals and families, schools, business, organizations and service providers) engaged in efforts to mobilize and promote crime-free, healthy communities will increase from 35% to 75%.
2. Community Risk and Resource Assessments	Instruments to assess and identify local needs, resources and priorities for development of community-based prevention programs that target at-risk youth and juvenile offenders are developed, adopted and implemented across agencies and organizations. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors and local municipalities will endorse these instruments.
3. Substance Abuse Efforts	An integrated approach to the prevention of youth alcohol and substance abuse that involves individuals, families, schools and community organizations becomes a funding and implementation priority for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, local municipalities and youth servicing agencies.
4. Community Norms	A community norms campaign is designed and implemented in partnership with police departments, probation departments, youth serving agencies, community members and youth that communicates positively-focused community laws and norms that address substance abuse, weapons possession and crime (including delinquency behaviors such as truancy).
5. Risk and Treatment Needs Instruments	The San Diego County Board of Supervisors and other local municipalities adopt strength-based, family-focused risk and resiliency assessment instruments for assessing at-risk youth and their families. Implementation is by public and private agencies and the community.
6. Systemwide, Balanced Approach To Funding	A systemwide, balanced approach to funding prevention, early intervention and graduated sanctions programs that considers both safety needs of the community and treatment needs of at-risk youth and families is utilized by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, local municipalities, government agencies and youth serving agencies.
7. Public Outreach Strategy	A comprehensive, regional public outreach strategy that engages the public and policy makers in the promotion of healthy and crime-free lifestyles, and focuses on prevention and reduction of juvenile crime, is operational in all areas of San Diego County.
8. Cross-Systems Training	Design, develop and implement ongoing cross-systems training programs between public and private agency providers to acquire common language and methodologies and promote regional collaboration.
9. Interagency Agreements	Formal interagency agreements (such as Memorandums of Understanding or Agreement) are written and adopted that explicitly state the relationships, roles, responsibilities and expected outcomes between agencies working with children, youth and families.
Case Management and Process Control	Institutionalize a case management system that follows each youth and family throughout the various stages of the continuum. The Chief Probation Officer is designated with the responsibility and provided with the required resources to coordinate an interagency, centralized intake process, case management and program control (including assessment, monitoring and feedback) for identified at-risk and juvenile offenders.
Management Information System	MIS efforts are enhanced, available, and capable of facilitating relevant information and data sharing by all criminal justice agencies and collaborating entities (public and private), consistent with appropriate protection of privacy rights.
12. Evaluation	Locally relevant, ongoing evaluation of programs, strategies, and systemwide responses are conducted on all programs in order to allocate resources by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, local municipalities and youth serving agencies based upon need and documented effectiveness.

 

IMPLEMENTING THE COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY_________

Keeping with the theme of ending duplication and redundancy, the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council from SB 1760 was asked to oversee the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategy Plan. This protected San Diego from forming yet another governing body and creating a larger bureaucracy. As the Comprehensive Strategy Team was moving forward in its planning, it became evident that a full-time coordinator was needed. San Diego learned that coordinating the efforts of public, private, youth and family serving entities throughout the region under the umbrella of the Comprehensive Strategy is a monumental task. Therefore, a full-time Coordinator position was established in April 1998. One of the many duties of the Comprehensive Strategy Coordinator is to facilitate and staff the six work groups, which deal specifically with issues revealed during planning and implementation phases. Representatives from the work groups are the conduits for information sharing between the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council and the work group members. (Please see Attachment 6 for a brief description of the work groups, their missions and strategies.)

Throughout the planning process "Comprehensive Strategy Themes" clearly emerged. The Comprehensive Strategy Team concluded that these themes must be the foundation upon which services and programs are designed and delivered. The successful implementation of the Comprehensive Strategy must ensure that the spirit of these themes is incorporated not just in services and programs, but also in agencies, organizations and institutions that work with youth and their families.

COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY THEMES_____________________

• Provide a full continuum of care:

• Include youth family members, and other significant community members in program design, development and implementation.

• Be family-focused, strengthen families and provide intergenerational family support services, resources and parenting skills.

• Promote a community delinquency prevention model as the most cost-effective and humane approach, assuring access to community-based resources; and

• Provide graduated sanctions with early identification, diversion, intervention and ongoing support as follows:

• Immediate intervention for first-time, nonviolent offenders;
• Intermediate sanctions for more serious offenders;

• Secure care programs for most violent offenders; and
• Aftercare programs involving family and community to assist youth with reintegrating into the community following out-of-home placement.

• Be holistic (comprehensive or multi-systemic) and multidisciplinary, dealing simultaneously with many aspects of the youth's life. Address the youth's family and relationships dealing with intimacy, community, peers, school and work.

• Utilize a case manager and case management approach that begins at intake and follows the youth through various program phases until successful completion. This involves the development of individual service plans that are updated on a consistent and goal-driven basis.

• Build upon youth and family strengths rather than focusing on their weaknesses. We need to shift the primary emphasis from risks to resiliency.

• Hold families accountable for their children and systems accountable to families.

• Be gender-specific and culturally and linguistically appropriate. Programs must reach and be accepted by diverse racial, cultural and socioeconomic groups in the community.

• Be intensive, have multiple contacts with at-risk youth by staff who have manageable caseloads that allow for individualized attention and follow through.

• Offer comprehensive alcohol and other drug treatment, recovery and aftercare services in all phases of the continuum, including prevention.

• Have a solid focus on education, job readiness, skills training and employment through combined intensive support services.

• Utilize comprehensive community risk and resource models that prioritize target areas.

• Adopt common definitions, referral and response protocols, and instruments for assessing risks to the community and treatment needs of individual juvenile offenders that may be used by all agencies that participate in the juvenile justice system (including law enforcement, education and community-based organizations).

• Develop information systems that enable data sharing for client case management, tracking, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, and that are accessible by criminal justice agencies and collaborating entities (while maintaining legally mandated confidentiality).

• Provide ongoing evaluation based upon agreed assessment and response mechanisms to all system participants for informed decision making.

• Adopt a systemwide resource allocation strategy, rather than funding on a program-by-program basis. Implement service consolidation and redesign where appropriate.

PROMISING APPROACHES__________________________________

Using the twelve recommendations and the Comprehensive Strategy Themes the Comprehensive Strategy Team, through work facilitated by NCCD and DRP, designed six "Promising Approaches". These Approaches are the first step in beginning to fill identified needs and gaps in the continuum. The Approaches include desired outcomes, indicators, participant results, program results and an implementation plan. Each Approach gives specific measurable results for all focus areas. The six Approaches are: Vocational Training/School to Career, Taking It to the Local Level, Parent Training and In Home Support, Afterschool Programs, Substance Abuse and Girls Programs.
 
 

PROMISING APPROACH #1:

VOCATIONAL TRAINING-SCHOOL TO CAREER
 

Desired Outcomes	Youth choose to be self-sufficient (financially, emotionally and socially); Youth know their strengths and utilize them to be productive citizens of the community; Youth enter adulthood with basic life skills, as well as vocational and academic competency; and Education will promote and develop vocational training programs for those who are not college bound.
Indicators	1. Education V Decrease dropout and truancy rate. Increase graduations and certifications. 2. Employment V Youth not in school receive vocational training or employment. Increase number employed or in school.  3. Vocational Assessment/Personal Interest Inventory V All students receive one by grade 10; 50% by grade 7; and 25% by grade 4.  4. Competency (individual & systemic) V Commitment to change focus from pass/fail to competency.  5. Vocational Training V Increase options and capacity to provide opportunities for youth.  6. Apprenticeships V Increase options and capacity to provide opportunities for youth.
Promising Approaches	Build the framework that will inventory and coordinate existing vocational skills, school to career, employment preparation and apprenticeship programs for the region; and Vocational Aptitude/Personal Interest Inventory provided by education in grades 4, 7 and 10. Purpose is to identify and build upon strengths for future educational/career track.
Participant Results	Lower dropout rate; Increased rate of certifications and graduations; Increased competency in life skills; and Increased rate of youth engaged in full-time education, training, employment or combination thereof.
Program Results	Vocational training services are coordinated and linked throughout the region; Education partners with the private sector to increase youth's vocational skills and opportunities for employment; and Career/vocational opportunities are increased.
Implementation Plan	Identify the lead; Identify the key players; Determine common vision; Inventory existing services, capacities, gaps and resources; Develop a partnership between business, education and the community; Cultivate relationships with community collaboratives; Develop subcommittees: What Works? Evaluation and Mentoring; Career days; and Implement Vocational Assessment/Personal Interest Inventory Project.

PROMISING APPROACH #2:

TAKING IT TO THE LOCAL LEVEL
 

Desired Outcomes	Obtain local key leader commitment to a regional Comprehensive Strategy;  Establish neighborhood Comprehensive Strategy community planning teams; and 3. Institutionalize collaborative decision-making regionwide.
Indicators	1a. Formal community resolutions are in place;  b. Memorandums of Agreement are in place;  c. Programs are funded based upon assessment;  d. Programs are funded based upon outcomes; and  e. Community planning team infrastructure is in place.  2a. Number of communities assessed for readiness to convene a planning team;  b. Number of communities with planning teams established; and  c. Number of communities with a local Comprehensive Strategy Plan. 3a. Allocation of resources is reflective of a local community Comprehensive Strategy Plan; b. A regional linkage exists for consistent governance of community planning teams; c. Community governance exists over discretionary resource allocation; d. Community planning teams obtain 5% private funding and resources; and e. Regional collaborative training is available.
Promising Approaches	Information Dissemination on Community Health San Diego County Report Card; and Regional Data Sharing Forum. Community Engagement Children's Initiative; 1741's, Title V's, Community Collaboratives, Heartbeat, Healthy Starts, New Beginnings, Partners for Success; and Public Relations Campaign on community norm changing.
Participant Results	Increased positive outcomes for children and families as indicated by key community health indicators
Program Results	1a. A shared, structured decision-making process is in place; b. There is a shared MIS system in place (with unique ID algorithm); 2a. Number of Comprehensive Strategy community planning teams in place; and b. Number of Comprehensive Strategy community plans in place.
Implementation Plan	San Diego County Report Card is currently operational. The Report Card will provide regional and local data on key health and safety indicators by zip code, census tract and city and county jurisdictions within two years. The first year of data collection will establish the baseline data; Regional Data Sharing Forum meets monthly; and Community Assessment Teams are using the same intake/screening assessment and data collection procedures.

PROMISING APPROACH #3:

PARENT TRAINING/IN HOME SUPPORT
 

Desired Outcome	Promote individual, family and community well-being; Individuals, families and communities are safe; All services are family driven; Families are self-sufficient; Families are involved and informed participants in decision making and planning; and Families are connected to each other and their communities.
Indicators	1a. Increases in women seeking prenatal care and increases in immunization rates; and b. Decreases in positive toxic births and decreases in substance abuse. 2a. Decreases in child abuse and family violence incidents; b. Decreases in arrest rates; and c. Decreases in school suspensions and expulsions. 3. Mutually agreed upon service plan and client satisfaction survey.  4a. Increase employment rate and number of adults moving from welfare to work; b. Improve access to health care; and c. Improve access to housing and knowledge of community resources. 5a. Improve involvement in schools and participation in community events; and b. Increase in voter registration and voting. 6a. Increase number of families utilizing Community Centers and Family Resource Centers; b. Increase number of community members participating in local/regional planning; and c. Increase number of community volunteers.
Promising Approaches	Provide in-home visiting support that is culturally, developmentally appropriate and specifically tailored to meet individual and family needs.  Increase citizen- and community- driven involvement through partnerships in community collaborations.
Participant Results	Increase number of families meeting basic needs and moving toward self-sufficiency as measured by improvements in employment, health care  access and school performance, as well as decrease incidents of family violence and substance abuse. 2a. Increase attendance at community events and responsibility for neighborhood; and b. Increase voting and personal accountability.
Program Results	1a. Parent-defined, in-home services are accessible through neighborhood centers in all local communities throughout San Diego County; and b. All services are provided in an individualized, culturally linguistically appropriate and sensitive manner. 2. Collaboratives exist that include a broad range of empowered people and organizations that are responsible for their communities.
Implementation Plan	Identify key community stakeholders; public and private service providers; Involve local neighborhood centers and utilize existing community assessments and input to identify family needs in communities; Identify needed resources and secure funding; Create multidisciplinary service teams to provide in-home services built upon the concepts of empowering families; Cross train staff and families; and Ten Service and Resource Centers exist in each county supervisorial district (GOAL).

PROMISING APPROACH #4

AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS

 

Desired  Outcomes	1. Increase quantity and quality of positive active alternatives for youth; 2. Increase quantity and quality of supervision of youth; 3. Increase bonding between youth, their communities and programs for youth; 4. Increase family support and active involvement of family in afterschool environments; 5. Increase safety for youth; and 6. Increase quality of interactions between peers.
Indicators	1a. Number of youth unsupervised afterschool; and b. Youths' perceptions and evaluation of the quality of the afterschool programming. 2a. Youth and family member participation rates in afterschool programs; and b. Parents' perception and evaluations of the quality of the afterschool programming. 3. Number of community members, youth and parents volunteering to work in the afterschool programs. 4a. Number of parents who volunteer in the afterschool program; and b. Number of parents and siblings who participate in program celebrations, potlucks, community service activities, support groups, etc. 5a. Number of youth who are victims or perpetrators of crimes afterschool; and b. Number of youth exhibiting youth risk behaviors.
Promising Approaches	Establishment of on or near school site afterschool programming that offers short-term activity choices, encourages peer and adult interactions and creates a community environment around the school.  Youth form a Youth Planning Council where concerned parents, community members and youth join together to discuss program planning and development, meet community leaders and share issues and concerns relevant to the youth and community.  Develop working groups that target select populations of youth, such as those referred by the juvenile justice system or those at risk of early pregnancy or drug use.
Participant  Results	1a. Increased competency in specific, youth-identified interest areas; b. Reduction in risk behaviors; c. Increased levels of involvement in structured, supervised afterschool activities; and d. Increased social skills. 2a. Positive completion of justice system case plan; b. Integration of at-risk youth into mainstream; and  c. Reduction in identified risk behavior.
Program  Results	1a. Increased community attachment; b. High levels of satisfaction with program; c. Early identification resources; d. Decrease in juvenile crimes during afterschool program hours; e. Increase in number of institutions and organizations actively involved in the afterschool program; and f. Improved ability to identify at-risk youth. 2a. Juvenile Justice System satisfaction with the afterschool program; and b. Reduction in youth recidivism rates.
Implementation Plan	1. Involve the community in community planning efforts; 2. Select target communities and target population in community; 3. Identify needs such as funding, space and resources and develop a plan to meet these needs; 4. Recruit, hire, orient and train staff and volunteers; 5. Develop accountability fiscal and paperwork systems and program forms; 6. Establish procedures for publicizing program and fostering community awareness and involvement; 7. Conduct enrollment process; and  8. Establish Youth Planning Council and regular meetings schedule.

PROMISING APPROACH #5:

SUBSTANCE ABUSE
 

Desired Outcomes	Increase number of healthy families; Increase attachment/bonding/modeling to adults and peers; Increase positive interactions to institutions; Clear and consistent messages regarding values; Reduction of crime and violence; and Increase access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health, education, social, psychological, support and treatment services.
Indicators	1a. Reduction of positive toxicology births; b. Reported age of first use increases; c. Reduction in reported use of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD); and d. Reduction of ATOD on board at Juvenile Hall admission. 2a. Increase in number of mentoring relationships between youth and adults; and b. Increase in Beacon schools in County. 3a. Increase in number of culturally appropriate, accessible activities during afterschool hours; and b. Increase composition of planning/policy groups that reflect community composition. 4a. Increase in number of cities that require conditional use permits for alcohol outlets and advertising. b. Reduction in number of decoy citations; and c. Reduction of ATOD use. 5a. Reduction of youth DUI arrests; and b. Reduction of juvenile ATOD-related crimes (perpetrators and victims). 6. Increase in number of neighborhood centers.
Promising Approaches	Neighborhood-based problem solving and governance: Beacon schools, neighborhood centers, neighborhood councils, etc.; and Youth involvement in the coordination of resources, blended funds and the standardization of assessment and evaluation.
Participant Results	1a. Increased engagement of community in problem-solving; and b. Increased youth participation.
Program Results	Increase in bed availability and numbers; and Community-based, family-focused and youth-oriented services with organizational development and training.
Implementation Plan	Community awareness meeting; Community organizational development and training; Systemwide coordination council/board; Institutionalization of neighborhood councils; Legislation change for information exchange; Technology for information exchange; Information repository established; Standard evaluation system; and Ongoing funding commitments.

PROMISING APPROACH #6:

GIRLS PROGRAMS
 

Desired Outcomes	A resource product based upon compilation and analysis of research-based data that identifies the unique biological and psychosocial needs and problems of girls; and A countywide educational, health and justice model that implements strategies and programs that promote health, well being and safety of girls.
Indicators	Decrease in victimization (child abuse, rape and dating violence); Decrease in teenage pregnancy; Decrease in self-abuse behavior (suicide, eating disorders, MH referrals); Decrease in substance abuse;  Decrease in truancy/school dropout; and Decrease in violent behavior.
Promising Approaches	1. A countywide task force comprised of community leaders to provide guidance and oversight for community education that promotes attitudes in  agencies and systems that encourage girls to reach their full potential; and 2. Model local and national programs that have successfully implemented effective programs and services which respond to the needs of girls.
Participant Results	Improved health, education and safety; Improved self sufficiency; and Reduced teen pregnancy and substance abuse.
Program Results	Reduced victimization; Reduced teen pregnancy; Reduced criminal justice referral; Reduced substance abuse; and Increased resources for job training/employment.
Implementation Plan	Identify key leaders and establish countywide task force; Inventory existing services unique to girls; Develop source documents to educate the public to the unique needs of girls; and Provide a framework for development of short- and long-term strategies to address girls' issues.

 

(See Attachment 3 for a Description of Gender-Specific Programs)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND BRANCHING IMPACTS:___________

Agencies, organizations and individuals have not waited for the completion of the Comprehensive Strategy planning process to begin to fill needs and gaps. Specific programs and strategies have been developed, funded and implemented as our work identifying needs continues. These programs and strategies are consistent with the afore mentioned recommendations, Comprehensive Strategy Themes and Promising Approaches. The programs and strategies include:

• CRITICAL HOURS PROGRAM: The County Board of Supervisors, through the Children's Investment Trust Fund, awarded $1.2 million in FY '97-98 and $1.5 million in FY '98-99 for afterschool programs for middle school age youth in San Diego County. The San Diego County Critical Hours Program seeks to foster collaborative efforts among public, private and nonprofit organizations that have in the past been fragmented and isolated in their efforts to serve children, youth and families. Critical Hours seeks to address youth violence, health and social issues that affect youth (e.g. crime, gang involvement, teen pregnancy, substance abuse and peer group pressure) and offer an alternative support system. With required program components, including health, education, recreation and interpersonal skills/self-esteem development, Critical Hours programs encourage a partnering of community organizations (i.e. education + recreation + social services + art organizations) to provide high quality programming at each site. Twenty-seven programs were started in September 1997, and have served more than 12,000 middle school age youth. The County will expand to 38 sites in 1998-99. There are currently 18 lead agencies with 150 collaborative partners.
• COMMUNITY CHALLENGE GRANTS: The California Office of Community Challenge Grants and the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, awarded eight $500,000 Teen Pregnancy Prevention grants. The grants were awarded to San Diego Youth and Community Services, Escondido Youth Encounter, University of California, San Diego, Neighborhood House, YMCA-Youth and Family Services, North Park Family Health Clinic, Vista Community Clinic and San Dieguito Union School District. These grants are intended to prevent teenage pregnancy and to reduce the number of absent fathers. Emphasis is placed on communities with greatest need. Programs include mentoring for male youth, male involvement in family programs, youth talk line, human sexuality for males/females, reproductive health education for males/females, development of healthy relationship skills, improving communication skills and the development of goals for a more enriched life.
• BREAKING CYCLES: Breaking Cycles is a $6.9 million SB 1760 State grant awarded to the San Diego County Probation Department. This three-year program (beginning July 1997) funds delinquency prevention through a range of graduated sanctions to prevent initiation into a lifestyle of gangs, drugs, violence and crime. The graduated sanctions component provides for multidisciplinary assessment of all adjudicated youth removed from, or at risk of removal from, the home; expands day treatment to North County region; and provides substance abuse treatment for all families based upon assessed need. The prevention component establishes strength-based family assessment at Community Assessment Teams to reduce the number of youth entering the justice system by referring the youth and their families to the appropriate services.
• AT-RISK YOUTH EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM: Senator Alpert's SB 1050 secured a $2 million, one-year grant (in addition to SB 1760) that builds upon the community assessment center framework that was defined in the Breaking Cycles grant. SB 1050 provides funding for direct wraparound services and linkages with community resources through family-focused, neighborhood based community assessment teams and centers. SB 1050 was awarded to the San Diego County Probation Department, which subcontracted with local community based agencies to provide direct prevention and intervention services to youth and their families.
• JUVENILE REPEAT OFFENDER PREVENTION PROGRAM (Project 8%): California State funding of $400,000 per year to Project 8% in San Diego County provides wraparound services to youth at risk of being chronic, serious violent offenders; subsequent legislation doubled the funding and extended the program for another two years (until June 2000). This funding was awarded to the San Diego County Probation Department and is a collaborative program between the Departments of Probation and the Health and Human Services Agency. This program has a multidisciplinary team with a Probation Officer, Social Worker, Psychologist and Substance Abuse Counselor. It is designed to provide integrated services to families of at­risk youth to minimize delinquency and costs of processing youth through the juvenile justice system. It also provides prevention services to siblings at risk of entering the delinquency system and preservation services to their families.
• ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, and OTHER DRUGS (ATOD) PREVENTION FRAMEWORK: This framework re-engineers the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency ATOD prevention services to regional based, youth- focused and collaboration-driven programs. This reengineering is funded by the $22 million General Fund, which includes Federal Substance Abuse Prevention Treatment Block Grant, State General Funds, and approximately eighteen other funding sources for 180 program components.
• SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT: The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has taken actions over the past 18 months to increase adolescent alcohol and drug treatment and intervention funding by nearly $2.8 million. This increases the number of youth served from 600 to 3,000 on an annual basis and has reduced wait time for services from 12 weeks to 2 weeks or less. It has also increased residential treatment beds to 750, and increased the number of treatment service providers. Funding is from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency General Fund, which includes Federal Substance Abuse Prevention Treatment Block Grant and State General Funds.
• SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT on DEMAND, for YOUTH: Twenty-two million dollars from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency General Fund was utilized to establish five additional regional Teen Recovery Centers in South Bay, San Marcos, Encinitas, Lakeside and Mid-City. Mental Health Systems, Phoenix House and San Diego Youth and Community Services are the agencies funded. These programs also expanded residential capacity for adolescents, including seventeen new detoxification beds. Services include one-to-one counseling, group counseling, family counseling, social recreation activities, NA/AA programs, and offer coping/life skills for success on the outside world.
• JUVENILE DEPENDENCY COURT RECOVERY PROJECT: The partnership between the San Diego County Chief Administrator's Office Dependency Court Tiger Team and the Superior Court introduced a new intervention for the Dependency Court process in mid-April 1998. Targeted toward parents whose neglect or abuse cases involve an alcohol and/or drug problem, a new substance abuse case management function has been implemented. This new process will provide assessment of substance abuse problems, prompt referral and assistance in entering alcohol and drug treatment programs, alcohol and drug testing and a comprehensive reporting system. This reporting system will report to the Dependency Court and the Children's Services Bureau the progress of parents in the program and their compliance to the Court order of participation.
• GENDER-SPECIFIC SERVICES for GIRLS: The San Diego YMCA, Youth and Family Services was recently awarded a $100,000 one-year grant from the Office of Criminal Justice Planning to provide gender-specific services for San Diego girls, with highest priority given to girls on probation. These services include but are not limited to addressing physical and emotional abuse, relationship issues, sexuality and reproductive issues, individual and family counseling, independent living skills, vocational training and parenting skills. Additionally, the National Council on Crime & Delinquency was awarded a California Wellness Foundation Grant to study gender-specific programs for girls in San Diego County.
• SAN DIEGO COUNTY HEALTH and HUMAN SERVICES HOME VISITING: The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, Family Support Home Visiting Partnership (FSHVP) works to ensure that all children in San Diego County are: born healthy; begin school eager and ready to learn; and remain healthy, safe and secure. The FSHVP mission is to ensure all San Diego families have access to confidential and voluntary home visitation and family support services that are individualized, culturally and linguistically appropriate, cost-effective and of the highest quality. In March 1998, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency implemented the Cal-SAHF "best practices" home-visiting program, which is funded by a $954,000 three-year grant from the Office of Child Abuse Prevention. It was awarded to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency and contracted to the Escondido Youth Encounter (EYE) Counseling and Crisis Services. The EYE is delivering home visiting services to 125 families in the North Coastal region of the County. The target population is families with drug-exposed infants, age birth to three months, who are at-risk for child abuse and neglect.
• JOB TRAINING for FOSTER, GANG and HIGH RISK YOUTH: The San Diego Work Force Partnership has allotted more than $1 million in funding to assist high-risk youth with job training skills and job placement.
• SCHOOL-TO-CAREER: The majority of youth on probation are in need of services to enable them to transition to independent living and adulthood. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funding has been earmarked for a School-to-Career Program to address this critical service gap identified by the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council. Between 800 to 1000 wards of the Court annually are projected to receive services at an estimated cost of $600 to $750 per program participant. The Probation Department will provide program coordination and contract monitoring services for twenty Vocational Counselors and Job Placement Counselors providing the vocational assessment and employment placement services.
• SCHOOL, PROBATION and JUVENILE COURT COOPERATION: In San Diego County, schools and probation officers have worked hard to keep children in school. In July 1997, the District Attorney's Office increased its efforts to help combat truancy, a leading indicator of juvenile delinquency. A truancy database and the addition of a part-time assistant dedicated solely to School Attendance Review Board (SARB) cases have facilitated the effectiveness of the teamwork between SARB members, prosecutors and court staff. The Juvenile Court also has contributed to the efforts, by assigning one judge to hear truancy matters on a weekly basis.
• SAN DIEGO COUNTY REPORT CARD: The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency and San Diego Children's Hospital Center for Child Health Outcomes have jointly created the components of a child/family health and well-being report card. The Report Card is comprised of scientifically based and/or consensus-derived measures that together form a population-based, data-driven monitoring system. The primary goal of this system is to track and trend identified child and family health and well-being indicators during a time of sweeping changes in both public policies and the systems servicing this population. A one-time grant of $88,000 was awarded to Children's Hospital from the Alliance Health Care Foundation. (Please see Attachment 4 for a list of Indicators used in the Report Card).

• A SHARED, STRUCTURED DECISION-MAKING PROCESS: San Diego's Regional Risk & Resiliency 4 Checkup: The Checkup is a research-based classification device for engaging the community in neighborhood-based services to strengthen families. It is representative of the cutting-edge efforts in prevention and early intervention being field tested in San Diego. The Checkup uses the concept of a blood pressure check. A reading outside the normal range alerts a person to possible health problems and allows families to take steps to avoid harm. In many instances, that information is enough to motivate change. The Checkup provides a portrait of a family's risk and resiliency compared to what is typical for San Diego families. It will also provide information and access to community resources for at-risk families. A $15,000 award was granted to the Justice System's Assessment and Training (Brian Mattson and Brad Bogue) from the National Institute of Corrections and the County of San Diego Probation Department. (Please see Attachment 5 for the tool.)

SUMMARY__________________________________________________

As we move into the 21^st century, San Diego County is dramatically reengineering local government. The public sector is being expected to compete with the private sector and produce a quality, cost effective product. Under the direction of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, business and strategic plans are being developed for each county department, functions and tasks are being merged, and outstanding risk management and customer service is being rewarded. As part of this process, local government agencies serving youth are being redesigned for maximum efficiency and improved effectiveness.

The bottom line is that approaches to serving the needs of youth and families in our region are rapidly evolving. Many changes are occurring - both in the way we think about programs and services and the methods used to deliver them. However, certain realities and priorities are clear and command consensus. Policy makers, legislators and the community support strengthening the prevention network and intervening effectively at the first "red flag" or "trigger" event that puts a child at risk of entering the juvenile justice system.

While San Diego County citizens support the incarceration of juveniles committing violent, serious crimes, they overwhelmingly favor providing prevention services to at-risk children and swift intervention for youth experiencing problems. San Diego County citizens expect the juvenile justice system to provide juvenile accountability, as well as victim and community restoration. Community solutions to community problems are preferred.

Some studies have shown that 90 percent of youth that have been exposed to prevention programs believe they made a positive difference in their lives. Californians and San Diegans have demonstrated that prevention programs are a good investment of their tax dollars.

This favorable attitude toward aggressive prevention and intervention strategies is particularly evident in the area of substance abuse treatment. San Diego County views substance abuse treatment as an investment that will reduce crime and save tax dollars that would otherwise be spent on prisons.

As San Diego County celebrates our accomplishments thus far, we also recognize the ongoing effort required to reach full implementation of the Comprehensive Strategy Plan. From policy makers to Neighborhood Watch groups, from agency diversion counselors to youth in leadership development programs, everyone must collaboratively engage in a sustained, regionwide commitment to actualize the CLEAR vision. In order to maintain the direction over the long term, we must continue our fiscal and philosophical commitment to supporting the Comprehensive Strategy Plan. As we build upon existing resources, address needs and gaps, strengthen youth and families, and integrate a full continuum of care, we are enhancing the quality of life for all San Diegans. The Comprehensive Strategy Plan serves as a blueprint and foundation for San Diego County as we strengthen and expand services and programs for youth and their families.