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Press ReleasesFLORIDA YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM EXPANDS TO TAMPA - ST. PETERSBURG REGIONTampa --- A community service program for troubled youth established by the state of Florida's Legislature and the Department of Juvenile Justice will expand to the Tampa/St. Petersburg area starting in October 2005. The Redirections Program (Redirections), as its formally known, was implemented in October 2004 to offer an alternative to incarceration - a community-based program that would be less expensive and more effective for Florida's delinquent youth. Redirections serves more than 200 youth in three other districts - Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Pensacola. The protocols for the program are established by the Department of Juvenile Justice and Evidence-Based Associates (EBA), a national firm that works with communities to identify and implement evidence-based programs. During the development of the protocols, DJJ and EBA work closely with local officials and judicial counsel to determine what will work best for each circuit. Referrals to Redirections come from juvenile probation officers and youth custody officers. "Helping our troubled youth become productive citizens is a responsibility that we have to our communities and by joining our efforts and working together through the Redirection program we can demonstrate the power of bi-partisan collaboration for the greater good," says Faye Culp, chair of the House Juvenile Justice Committee. "The Department of Juvenile Justice and our legislative team are committed to this project and are pleased with the results that we have seen over the past year." Redirections remains on target to achieve its goals for the project's three year expected results. By the year 2007, Redirections plans to have avoided more than 900 incarcerations by engaging youth and their families in their own communities, as well as reduce re-arrests by 50 percent, lower the number of repeat offenders and the severity of offenses. Moreover, Redirections plans to save more than $2.5 million to taxpayers by lowering incarceration expenses. Placing a child through Redirections costs taxpayers only 40 percent the cost of residential placement. "The community-based treatment programs offered through Redirections have proven effective in properly diverting youth from long-term facility care," says Darryl Olson, assistant secretary for probation and community programs. "Knowing that these programs are also cost-effective in addition to providing better outcomes reassures me that Redirections is an essential investment for our youth and our taxpayers." The two treatment programs offered through Redirections are Functional Family Therapy (FFT) and Multisystemic Therapy (MST). Collectively these programs represent more than 25 years of research and real-world implementation and successfully work with nearly 30,000 youth and families each year. Their treatment programs span more than 30 states and ten countries across the globe. In 2004, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) assessed the current state of America's youth violence interventions that reduce the risk of youth violence and related behavior problems. Following the symposium, NIH issued a press release stating, "The two programs that are clearly effective in reducing arrests and out-of-home placements are FFT and MST. Among the important characteristics that these programs have in common are a focus on developing social competency skills, a long-term approach and family involvement." The model programs offered through the Redirections program are provided by local providers. Initially, FFT will be available for the Tampa expansion and will be provided through a partnership with VisionQuest, a national organization that provides effective alternatives to incarceration and early intervention programs to keep youngsters out of the criminal justice system altogether. "VisionQuest is pleased to be participating in EBA's efforts to expand the availability of FFT services in Florida," states company president, Peter J. Ranalli. "We have embraced the FFT model because it is an effective, proven strategy for working with very challenging kids and families. VisionQuest is committed to employing those innovations that really work in reaching at-risk young people." # # #
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