Topics: Juvenile/Adult Justice System

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Description : System Improvement programs don’t generally work directly with youth, but rather support the programs, agencies and initiatives that do the direct work. This includes, but is not limited to, grant writers, coordinators, evaluators, training/quality improvement programs, and data collection. System Improvement also included backbone support organizations, which are organizations or agencies that serve as the backbone for the entire initiative, coordinating participating organizations and agencies, facilitating technology and communications support, logistical and administrative details, and data collection and reporting.

Topics: Juvenile/Adult Justice System

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Description : Promotion/Prevention programs use methods or activities to reduce or deter specific problem behaviors such as bullying, gang involvement or substance abuse; or to promote positive behaviors and outcomes. Promotion/Prevention programs that aim for promoting positive behaviors can focus on employment skills, life skills, or be pro-social activities which are designed to encourage youth to behave in ways that benefit others. Life skill programs provide education to enhance independence and the performance of daily activities by focusing primarily on the skills needed to ensure the youth’s biological, physiological, and safety needs.

Topics: Juvenile/Adult Justice System

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Description : Family Support Programs are community-based services that help to promote the well-being of children and families as well as increase the strength and stability of families. The services can be for youth and/or parents, and can occur within the home or at community locations. There are 4 sub-types of family support programs: Parenting Class, Advocacy, Social Workers, and Family Support. Advocacy Programs help guide youth and/or their families through the juvenile justice system, explaining the process and importance of each hearing, outcome, or decision. Advocates may meet with youth and families at their home prior to court appearances to discuss the purpose of the hearing or what the consequences of not appearing in court may be. Advocates can also accompany youth and families to the proceedings.

Topics: Juvenile/Adult Justice System

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Description : Truancy programs focus on youth with unauthorized absences in order to prevent system involvement. Programs can become involved with youth at different stages of absenteeism, with schools referring youth who have 5-10 unexcused absences up to the county attorney’s officer referring youth to the program when their level of absences requires legal intervention. Truancy programs can also be part of diversion.

Topics: Employment and Workforce, Youth Programming, Capacity Building

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Description : STEPs will begin a comprehensive evaluation of the Metropolitan Community College (MCC) Express program. In this first six-month period, we will complete a literature review and an analysis of their existing data. We will work on multiple projects to complete a process evaluation and lay out an outcome evaluation plan. In addition, we will prepare a brief environmental scan to help them make evidence-informed decisions about program expansion. MCC Express is a community-based initiative to provide educational programming, services and support focused on workforce and college readiness. The mission of STEPs is to provide participation, utilization-focused evaluation of programs serving children, youth, and families in poverty

Topics: Economic Sufficiency Awareness, Youth Programming, Capacity Building, Social Justice Awareness

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Description : The goal of this evaluation plan (statement of work) is to provide an independent evaluation of the effectiveness and fiscal impact of the family finding statewide pilot as stipulated in Legislative Bill 243 (Section 8). This evaluation will be conducted by the Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs) program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. It will be led by Jeanette Harder, PhD, and Pamela Ashley, M.Ed. The goals of the family finding statewide pilot as stipulated in LB 243 are as follows: 1. Promote kinship care and lifelong connections through the process of family finding. Family finding is the process of engagement, searching, preparation, planning, decision-making, lifetime network creation, healing, and permanency (Sections 1-3). a. Search for and identify family members and engage them in planning and decision-making. b. Gain commitments from family members to support a child through nurturing relationships c. Achieve a safe, permanent legal home or lifelong connection for the child, either through reunification or through permanent placement through legal guardianship or adoption. 2. Prevent recurrence of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or other maltreatment of children. 3. Reduce the length of time children spend in foster care. 4. Reduce multiple placements of children in foster care.

Topics: Juvenile/Adult Justice System

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Description : Crisis Response programs are made up of teams of individuals trained to intervene in cases where youth’s health or safety is threatened, resolve serious conflicts between parent/guardians and the youth regarding the youth’s conduct or disregard for authority, or runaway behavior. Law enforcement notifies Crisis Response teams when they are called to a location where there is a situation as mentioned above, and the staff/team works with the youth and their family/those involved in the situation to come to a solution the make sure the youth and others are safe. The solution can include creating a safety plan with the youth and family, services being provided to the youth and family to keep the youth at home, and/or the youth being places outside of the home. The Crisis Response staff/team can also recommend services within the community to address the needs of the youth/family as part of the resolution process, and follow-up with the family if needed. Crisis Respite falls under Crisis Response programs, and is a temporary placement for a youth outside of the home to provide relief for parents or caregivers. This is not an extended placement.

Topics: Early Childhood Education, Youth Programming, Capacity Building

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Description : The purpose of this work plan is to complete a community assessment for Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties consistent with the requirements specified by Community Action funders Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and Head Start to determine the current needs, strengths, and assets of the Community Action service area. In addition to meeting the timelines and criteria established by the funding sources, the results of this study will guide Head Starts strategic and tactical planning processes and Community Actions strategic plan.

Topics: Juvenile/Adult Justice System

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Description : Promotion/Prevention programs use methods or activities to reduce or deter specific problem behaviors such as bullying, gang involvement or substance abuse; or to promote positive behaviors and outcomes. Gang programs aimed at reducing the number of serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders from gang related activities

Topics: Juvenile/Adult Justice System

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Description : Mentoring programs match a young person (mentee) with a more experienced person who is working in a non-professional capacity (mentor) to help provide support and guidance to the mentee in one or more areas of the mentee’s development. There are 4 types of Mentoring programs: Community, Juvenile Justice, School, and Youth Initiated. Youth Initiated Mentors are mentors that are identified by the youth as someone who is already a support or mentor for the youth. The program then helps to make sure the match is safe and supportive for the youth and to help develop natural mentors for more sustainable matches. The goal of this mentoring relationship is to help youth identify and sustain a healthy support system.