Examples of Programs and Intervention Models

• SNAP™/Under 12 Outreach
  This program serves boys and girls ages 6–11 who have had police contact or are referred from other sources, and who also are clinically assessed as engaging in above-average levels of aggressive, destructive, or other antisocial behavior. ORP employs a multisystemic approach, combining interventions that target the child, the family, and the child in the community. The program uses a variety of established interventions: skills training, training in cognitive problem solving, self-control strategies, cognitive self-instruction, family management skills training, and parent training. The cornerstone of ORP and its parallel gender sensitive program for girls, Earlscourt Girls Connection (EGC), is SNAP™-- a cognitive-behavioral self-control and problem-solving technique.
  
• Truancy Intervention Program
  In 1995 with authorization by the Minnesota legislature the Ramsey County Attorney started the Truancy Intervention Program (TIP) to serve students in all five county school districts. The program keys on siblings of students who have previously been referred to TIP and consists of a three step process with progressively intrusive interventions to compel student attendance. Since it began, more than 21,000 students have been referred to the program and there has been a 53% drop in the number of truancy petition filings.
  
• Gang Resistance Education And Training This 13-week curriculum is taught by law enforcement to middle school students entirely in their regular classrooms. In addition to educating students about the dangers of gang involvement, the lesson content places considerable emphasis on cognitive-behavioral training, social skills development, refusal skills training, and conflict resolution. Thus, the curriculum aims to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors.
  
• Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America This serves as a prime example of an intervention model which is needed at the immediate sanctioning level.  It is a federation of 500 youth serving agencies that seek not to ameliorate problems but to provide support through a one to one relationship with a caring adult. The organization concentrates on connecting children who are from single-parent homes with an adult who commits to spending up to four hours per week two to four times per month with the youth for at least one year engaged in developmentally appropriate activities. Although individual agencies may customize their programs to fit specific needs, the integrity of the program is protected through a national infrastructure that oversees recruiting, screening, matching, and supervising so as to ensure a successful match between child and mentor.
  
• National Youth Court Center
  Youth courts (also called teen, peer, and student courts) are programs in which youth sentence their peers for minor delinquent and status offenses and other problem behaviors.  Youth courts can be administered by and operated within a variety of agencies within a community including law enforcement agencies, juvenile probation departments, juvenile courts, private nonprofit agencies, and schools. The National Youth Court Center (NYCC) at the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) serves as a central point of contact for youth court programs across the nation.
  
• Boys and Girls Club of America
  The Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA) promotes health, social skills development, education, character building, and leadership in youths, especially those at risk. Program delivery teams consist of local BGCA staff, representatives from the youths’ schools, the housing authority, resident councils of the local public housing developments, and parent leaders. Each week the program engages youths in structured activities designed to improve educational enhancement including writing activities, leisure reading and homework assistance and other informational activities.
  
• Family Crisis Intervention Units
  The Family Crisis Intervention Unit (FCIU) handles cases in which the behavior of the juvenile, parent, guardian, or other family member constitutes a threat to the well being and safety of the juvenile for reasons other than delinquency. These cases often involve serious conflicts with parents, runaways, or a pattern of repeated unauthorized absence from school. If the matter cannot be resolved within the Family Crisis Intervention Unit a petition is made for court intervention and a complaint is filed with the family court.
  
• Other Examples