Youth Alternative Intervention Program

Youth Alternative

Intervention Program

Winner Of The TBS Superstation Pathfinder Award *| Pictures | Enrollment Information

Session	Application Deadline	Start Dates
Session 14	January 31, 2006	March 25, 2006
Session 15	May 31, 2006	August 26, 2006
Session 16	August 31, 2006	January 6, 2007

Parents will be notified upon acceptance.

The purpose of the Youth Alternative Intervention Program is to develop an alternative intervention program to facilitate the needs of troubled youths, and to establish an effective and efficient remedy to change their pattern of delinquent behavior.

The Youth Alternative Intervention Program is a Weed & Seed initiative directed under the Law Enforcement component of the Weed & Seed strategy.

It is an alternative to incarceration as well as a preventative measure in an attempt to minimize and weed out juvenile crime and delinquency.

The Youth Alternative Intervention Program is a combination of boot camp, big brother / big sister ideology, academics and methods of discipline such as physical training and drill instruction.

We will measure the effectiveness of the program by tracking the progress of the participants during and after completion of the program through our mentorship program. Program officers have the responsibility of communication with the parents / guardians and school officials on the progress of each participant.

The Youth Alternative Intervention Program objectives are:

To provide an alternative solution for parents who have unsuccessfully sought remedies through the Juvenile Justice System.

To minimize the inappropriate or unnecessary use of secure detention.

To redirect efforts to responsible strategies.

To minimize failure to appear and the incidents of delinquent behavior through mentorship and constructive action.

The Youth Alternative Intervention Program requirements:

The child must between the ages of 10 and 16.
The parent(s) of the child must be a resident of the City of East Point, or the child's crime was committed in the City of East Point.
The child must attended a school in the City of East Point.
The child can be referred by the Fulton County, GA Department of Family and Children Services or any other Governmental agency.

If the above listed requirements are meet, a parent or legal guardian may place their child in this program if the child is unruly, a runaway, a truant, or a curfew violator between the ages of 10 and 16. Parents must complete the application process to enroll the child in the program. With the concurrence of school officials, a child may also be placed in this program in lieu of being suspended from school. Parents will be required to sign their child into the program on Saturdays at 7:45 A.M. and pickup the child at 3:45 P.M. The program is twelve (12) weeks in length and perfect attendance is required.

If the child successfully completes this program, no juvenile complaints will be forwarded to the Fulton County Juvenile Court.

Continuation of unruly behavior, committing other status violations or violent acts, will be immediate grounds for expulsion from this program, and result in immediate transfer of the child's case to the Fulton County Juvenile Court.

Each child participant will be provided a program uniform, and will be evaluated each week by a Program Officer. The Mentorship Program consists of Program Officers assigned to each participant and graduate. The child must satisfactory complete each weeks activities to graduate from the program. Upon graduation the child will receive the following momentous for their accomplishment:

Certificate of achievement
Program T-shirt
Qualify for membership in the Youth Alternative Mentor Alliance.

The program staff will consist of Police and Fire personnel, professional volunteers, parents, citizens and college interns who have volunteered their time and services to the program.

Description of Program

The "Youth Alternative Intervention Program" is an initiative of the East Point Police Department’s Weed & Seed Program.

Y.A.I.P. objective is to pro-actively minimize juvenile crime and delinquency by targeting troubled youth, ages 10 to 16 years of age.

Y.A.I.P meet every Saturday for a period of 12 weeks from 7:45 a.m. until 3:45 p.m..

The program is designed to redirect the mind set of young people before they find themselves in real trouble with the law. The program is not punishment but reinforcement of the qualities needed to get the troubled youth back on the right path and maturing into a respectful law abiding citizen.

Y.A.I.P incorporates the ideology of boot camp, big brother/big sister, father, mother, mentor and other positive reinforcement fundamentals in an effort to get the troubled youth thinking in the right direction and making the correct decisions.

Y.A.I.P has partnered with local schools, juvenile justice, United Way and other state agencies to provide an alternative for parents as a remedy for youth with behavior problems.

Upon enrollment, participants are expected to avoid trouble and unacceptable behavior.

The participants behavior range from unruliness, being disrespectful at home and/or school, violating curfew, truancy, missing person (runaway), cutting class, and minor infractions of the law.

Saturday sessions include a variety of activities noted in the basic components of program.

"Youth Alternative Intervention Program"

Basic Components:

Judicial Review (Courtroom activity)

Behavior Modification (Discipline)

Mentoring (Big Brother/Big Sister Concept)

Physical Exercise

Drill Instruction (Boot Camp Concept)

Classroom Instruction

Labor Consciousness

Peer Group Sessions

Peer Court Sessions

Parent/Child Group Conference Sessions

Parent Conference Sessions

Child Conference Sessions

Child Disciplinary Counseling Sessions

Consequences 101 ("Scare Straight Sessions")

Career Day

Graduation

Youth Mentorship Alliance

Criteria for Enrollment

Applicant must meet at least one of the following requirements.

Resident of East Point

Complete enrollment process.

Male or female between the age of 10 and 16.

Attend school within city limits.

Committed a minor infraction of the law and directed to participate and complete program as an alternative to judicial review.

Recommendation or referral from city, county or state agency.

Recommendation or referral from school official as a result of misconduct.

Upon Acceptance

Parent/guardian must attend scheduled Y.A.I.P. conference/counsel sessions upon enrollment.

Parent/guardian must sign waivers upon enrollment.

Parent/guardian and child upon acceptance must follow all rules and guidelines set forth for Y.A.I.P. participants.

Child must attend all Saturday sessions promptly.

Arrival time 7:45 a.m. and departure 3:45 p.m.

One excused absence is allowed.

Youth Mentorship Alliance

The Y.A.I.P. Mentorship Alliance is a post-graduate continuum of the "Youth Alternative Intervention Program". Exceptional graduates of the Y.A.I.P. will advance to the role of youth mentor to assist with future sessions. The Youth Mentorship Alliance members pledge to perform the following tasks and responsibilities.

Mentor will act as role model for program participants at home and school.

Junior Police Cadet status.

Liaison between neighborhoods, elementary, middle and high schools as it relates to juvenile crime and mischief.

Attend monthly meeting with program administrator and designated chairperson for the Mentorship Alliance.

Actively participate in weekly Y.A.I.P. sessions to assist program officers with scheduled activities.

Mentor will always emulate the utmost integrity and moral character at home, school and the general public.

To enroll in the program or questions concerning the program contact:

Deputy Chief of Police Luther Graham, Program Administrator, (404) 559-6224.
Selena Andrews, Administrative Assistant, (404) 559-6277

To view a letter written by a single parent of an unruly child who gave us the inspiration for the Youth Alternative Intervention Program click here.