ROPP II Counties Approved for Funding

On March 15, 2001 the Board of Corrections approved grant funding for eight new Repeat Offender Prevention Programs (ROPP II). Grant funds awarded are to assist counties with startup and implementation costs associated with program development and operations. The grant period is one-year and begins on July 1, 2001 and ends on June 30, 2002. Following is a listing of the counties approved for funding, amount awarded and a brief program description.

Kern County is proposing the creation of a multi-agency team of professionals that will provide intensive services aimed at truancy, delinquency, substance abuse, gang membership and family problems in the North Kern communities of Delano, McFarland, Shafter and Wasco. The team will include three Probation Officers, one Sheriff’s Department Crime Prevention Specialist, a Mental Health Case Manager, family advocates, and clerical support. The team will conduct assessments, strategize cases, make home visits, and link and refer wards and their families for appropriate services as needed. Kern County is also proposing to add three full-time Probation Officers to the existing ROPP program in metropolitan Bakersfield in order to reduce caseloads and increase the provision of intensive services. Estimated number of minors served: 220.

Kings County is proposing the establishment of a multi-agency team that will provide wraparound services to eligible youths in the cities of Avenal, Corcoran, Lemoore and Hanford, as well as unincorporated areas of the county. The team’s probation officers will serve as primary case advocates, working to build trust and understanding and to bridge the gap between the minor and his/her family. The probation officers will have small caseloads (not to exceed 15 high-risk minors) and will work closely with school officials and law enforcement to maximize the effectiveness of community supervision. Based on the needs identified in a comprehensive individualized case plan, appropriate services will be provided to minors and their families. Estimated number of minors served: 45.

Monterey County is proposing the creation of a multi-disciplinary team that will make an assessment of the needs of the wards and their families, develop an initial service plan, and hold regular case conferences to ensure a ward’s movement through a supervision and treatment continuum. The continuum includes elements of restorative justice and personal accountability, and focuses on cessation of destructive and illegal behavior patterns. In addition to a community school, regular counseling for substance use, and impulse control and anger management sessions, the county will offer educational workshops and recreational activities, including culturally enriching field trips, to minors and their families. Estimated number of minors served: 60.

San Bernardino County is proposing the establishment of three multi-disciplinary teams that will be housed in regionally based Day Reporting Centers in the East Valley, West Valley, and High Desert. The teams will use a community collaborative approach focused on building on the strengths of families. The program will provide a total continuum of services for identified youth and their families and will include interventions that have proven to have the greatest potential for long-term success (e.g., behavior accountability/responsibility training, family communication skills, substance abuse treatment and relapse prevention, social and recreational skill building, and student tutoring and mentoring). Estimated number of minors served: 120.

Santa Barbara County is proposing the creation of a multi-disciplinary team that will assess eligible youths to determine their specific needs and develop a case plan for the minors and their families that combines intensive home supervision with family-focused wraparound services. Services will include substance abuse counseling and treatment, school assistance and tutoring, individual and family counseling, life skills classes, recreational activities, public health monitoring, and aftercare service planning. Three Deputy Probation Officers will implement this countywide program, with one assigned in each area office in Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Santa Maria. Estimated number of minors served: 60.

Tehama County is proposing to implement the Restitution, Education, and Prevention (REAP) Project, which will provide comprehensive, intensive multi-disciplinary services to eligible juveniles and their families. In conjunction with the juvenile and his/her family, a multi-agency team will develop an Individual Treatment and Restorative Justice Plan that includes three restorative justice components: 1) Community Security (intensive surveillance and supervision by probation officers); 2) Accountability (restitution, community services, and victim/offender mediation); and Competency Development (an array of services designed to help the juveniles and/or their families develop appropriate skills and abilities). Estimated number of minors served: 50.

Ventura County is proposing Project HOPE (Habitual Offender Prevention Endeavor), a collaborative effort between the Ventura County Probation Department and a wide range of other government agencies and non-profit service organizations that will provide a continuum of programs, services, activities, and events specifically chosen to meet the individualized needs of each ward and his/her family. Culturally competent and linguistically appropriate services will be provided in three "hubs" throughout the county (Ventura, Simi Valley, and Oxnard). Following assessments by the deputy probation officer and mental health worker, a multi-agency team will include the juvenile and his/her family in the development of an individualized case plan. All services will be provided through a voucher system to help ensure that limited resources are targeted to juveniles and their families in the most appropriate manner. Estimated number of minors served: 100.

Yuba County is proposing to implement the Penumbra Project, a risk-focused, assessment driven approach to case management, treatment planning, and the delivery of wraparound services. A multi-disciplinary team comprised of a clinician, probation officers, teacher and public health nurse will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the minors accepted into the program, and will work closely with the youths’ parents in developing treatment plans for the minor. Parents will be supported through groups, individual or family therapy, and education as needed or requested. The project will offer an intensive academic remediation program with a focus on developing reading skills, as well as an array of individual and group counseling services, to assist minors in developing positive values and social competencies. Estimated number of minors served: 30.

The total estimated number of minors served by the new projects is 685.