POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT &
POSITIVE YOUTH JUSTICE
Positive Youth Development (PYD) is a strength-based, asset-based, and youth-involved development process designed to guide youth in reaching their full potential. NICJR’s PYD or Positive Youth Justice training focuses on effective practices that specifically support justice-involved youth to develop appropriately and successfully into adulthood.
TOPICS COVERED
- Introduction to the PYD approach.
- Behaviors, skills, knowledge areas, and personal attributes needed by young people to be successful.
- Youth outcomes in developmental terms.
- The effect of trauma on youth development.
- Strategies to engage high-risk youth.
- PYD Case Planning: Assessing core competencies and developing strategies for strengthening youth outcomes.
- Understanding risk and risk assessments, as well as needs and asset assessments.
- The history of the juvenile justice system.
- Why deficit-based, punitive approaches to correct youth behavior are ineffective.
- Case studies of youth justice systems that have implemented PYD.
TRAINING LOGISTICS
- NICJR has tailored its PYD training to meet the needs of various organizations and individuals serving high-risk young people, including:
- Probation Officers
- Community-based organizations
- Law enforcement agencies
- School administrators
- Outreach workers
- Training Duration: 4-7 hours
- Additional reading materials provided
STRENGTH-BASED PROBATION / PAROLE
SERVICES
NICJR’s Strength-based Probation / Parole Services training utilizes the same principles of Positive Youth Development, applied to adults. Like PYD, Strength-based Community Corrections is an asset-based and client-involved approach to help guide clients in reaching their full potential. The training focuses on effective practices that specifically support clients in developing skills for a successful transition back into the community.
TOPICS COVERED
- Introduction to the Strengths-based Probation / Parole Services approach.
- Behaviors, skills, knowledge areas, and personal attributes needed by clients to be successful.
- Strategies to engage high-risk clients.
- Case Planning: Assessing core competencies and developing strategies for strengthening client outcomes.
- Understanding risk and risk assessments, as well as needs and asset assessments.
- Why deficit-based, punitive approaches to Probation / Parole services are ineffective.
- Case studies of justice systems that have implemented Strengths-based services.
TRAINING LOGISTICS
- NICJR has tailored its Strengths-based Probation / Parole Services training to meet the needs of various agencies directly providing community supervision services, overseeing agencies that provide community supervision services, or working with individuals under supervision, including:
- Law enforcement and community corrections leadership
- Probation / Parole Officers
- Community-based organizations
- Government agencies and oversight committees
- Training Duration: 4-7 hours
- Additional reading materials provided
INTENSIVE LIFE COACHING / CREDIBLE
MESSENGER TRAINING
NICJR provides training in Intensive Life Coaching for community organizations and government agencies seeking to provide intensive and effective intervention to high risk youth and young adults. The training program supports participants in understanding the importance of developing an authentic, trusting relationship with clients.
TOPICS COVERED
- Key responsibilities of Life Coaches / Credible Messengers.
- Effective outreach strategies.
- Tools for developing and maintaining trusting relationships with clients..
- Assessing client needs and strengths.
- Developing a Life Plan.
- Case Management administration (case notes and files, case meetings and file reviews, supervision, etc.) .
TRAINING LOGISTICS
- Intensive Life Coaching / Credible Messenger Training programs can benefit various organizations, agencies, and individuals serving high-risk young people. The program is particularly beneficial for:
- Case Management Staff
- Violence Intervention Staff
- Street Outreach Workers
- Offices of Violence Prevention
- Training Duration: 4-7 hours
- Workbook and additional reading materials provided
HEALTHY, WEALTHY & WISE TRAIN THE
TRAINER
Healthy, Wealthy & Wise (HWW) is a culturally relevant, trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program specifically developed to reach very high-risk youth and young adults. The focus of the curriculum is to change the mentality that gives rise to destructive behaviors.
TOPICS COVERED
- Key Elements of the Transformative Mentoring approach.
- Leading culturally relevant CBT group sessions.
- Facilitating the HWW curriculum.
- Session outlines.
- Strategies for successfully engaging participants.
- Assessing participation and engagement.
TRAINING LOGISTICS
- HWW Train the Trainer programs can benefit various organizations and individuals serving high-risk young people. The program is particularly beneficial for:
- Credible Messenger Life Coaches or case managers
- Violence intervention staff
- Offices of Violence Prevention
- Training Duration: 2-4 days
- Workbook and additional reading materials provided
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TRAINING
NICJR partners with emotional intelligence consultant Derrick “DB” Bedford, creator of iNeverWorry, to incorporate emotional intelligence training into several of the programs outlined above.
From iNeverWorry: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a solution based approach to managing stress and emotions. Participants are introduced to these remarkable skills by way of innovative group exercises and by using an interactive personality instrument that decodes the various types of personalities we run across every day, in every situation.
TOPICS COVERED
- Recognize their own strengths as well as the strengths of others.
- Better manage their emotions and be able to skillfully respond to the emotions of others.
- Build rapport quickly with co-workers, clients, customers, family members, and friends.
- Listen to and speak the language of other temperament groups.
- Understand how others process information for more effective communication.
- Modify communication styles to connect well with others.
TRAINING LOGISTICS
- Through this partnership, NICJR can incorporate Emotional Intelligence training into any of the training programs outlined above. The training is particularly beneficial to enhance the PYD and HWW Train the Trainer programs.
- Training Duration: 4-7 hours
- Additional reading materials provided
GUN VIOLENCE REDUCTION STRATEGY TRAINING
NICJR is working in cities throughout California and nationally to support implementation of effective approaches to gun violence. Gun Violence Reduction Strategy training supports individuals and organizations in strengthening essential skills to help interrupt the cycle of violence in our most vulnerable communities and build a sustainable strategy for gun violence reduction. This training can be utilized in partnership with a given report, or as a stand alone training in cities where a specific study has not yet been conducted.
TOPICS COVERED
- Effective Gun Violence Reduction Strategies.
- How to Effectively Serve those at Highest Risk of Gun Violence.
TRAINING LOGISTICS
- Gun Violence Reduction Strategy programs can benefit various organizations and individuals serving individuals at high-risk of participating in or being a victim of gun violence in the immediate future. The program is particularly beneficial for:
- ○ Justice Systems Administrators and Personnel
- ○ Violence intervention staff
- ○ Offices of Violence Prevention
- Training Duration: 4-7 hours
- Additional reading materials provided
CASE STUDIES
CITY OF STOCKTON
OFFICE OF VIOLENCE
PREVENTION
In 2018-19, NICJR conducted a “Train the Trainer” training for the City of Stockton’s Office of Violence Prevention (OVP). OVP staff received multiple days of training in the HWW curriculum, including learning how to facilitate the program. Following the training, in 2019, the OVP launched its own version of HWW for young adult clients.
ANTI-RECIDIVISM
COALITION
NICJR has provided a series of trainings, including training in the HWW curriculum, to direct service staff of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization that provides a support network, comprehensive services, and opportunities to advocate for policy change for currently and formerly incarcerated people. ARC is now using elements of the curriculum in their workshops inside several California state prisons through their Hope and Redemption program.
CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS:
VIOLENCE REDUCTION
STRATEGY TRAINING
Since 2019, NICJR has worked with the City of Indianapolis, IN, on gun violence reduction, developing both a Cost of Gun Violence study and Gun Violence Reduction Strategies report for the city. Following their release, city leadership requested that NICJR lead a Violence Reduction training workshop for local system leaders and community organizations. Held virtually in July 2020, this interactive training included 65 participants discussing details of the report and engaging in supportive discussions around the implementation of effective strategies to support Indianapolis in reducing the excessive costs and impact of violence throughout the city.
DCYF POSITIVE YOUTH
DEVELOPMENT IN JUVENILE
JUSTICE TRAINING
In March 2020, NICJR provided two days of virtual training in Positive Youth Development to grantees and partners of the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and their Families. More than 60 representatives from community organizations and government agencies participated in a full day of interactive training workshops focused on effective tools and strategies to positively engage and support system-connected youth.
POSITIVE YOUTH
JUSTICE INITIATIVE
In December 2019 NICJR provided training in Positive Youth Development for the San Diego County Probation Department. 200 Probation Officers in San Diego County participated in a full day of interactive training workshops focused on effective tools and strategies to positively engage and support system-connected youth.