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The
Competency Skills Program provides a modified form of our
highly successful intensive community based Day Treatment services. This program option was designed for youth whose offenses may
not warrant either formal or informal probation but who would benefit
from this series of weekly program curriculum.
The Developing Competency Skills Program has been designed to address
Pennsylvania’s Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) requirements by
effectively building on competency and skill areas.
In the context of the BARJ model, competency refers to “the
ability of a juvenile offender to contribute constructively to his or
her community.” The focus
is squarely on enhancing the link between the youth and their community. This concept has
been embraced in the design and implementation of the PA
Treatment & Healing Competency Program.
The
overall purpose of the Developing Competency Skills Program is to provide
competency development and education through a weekly group format in
the lives of youth referred to the program. This program is most often utilized as a means of preventing the
need for placement, for first time offenders, and for those youth just
out of treatment or placement who are in need of learning skills that
will help them transition back home. Children and Youth and/or Juvenile Probation Departments may
initiate referrals to the Competency Program. Youth designated to attend the program are not referred or court
ordered to receive After School Evening Day Treatment Services. Both male and female referrals are accepted with ages ranging
from 12 to 18. In addition, the
Competency Program is not licensed by the Department of Public Welfare.
Therefore, an intake and all Department of Public Welfare
Regulation requirements would not apply to this program.
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The
program has been designed with a seven-week curriculum that deals with
the following topics:
Personal
Finance (i.e., checking, saving)
Life and Job Skills
Family Conflict and Resolution
Self-Esteem/Peer Pressure
Hurts, Offenses and Anger Dissolution
Victim, Offender Awareness Restitution
Drug and Alcohol Education
Each class
period runs for 90 minutes. One
additional class is scheduled per session, if needed to allow for youth to satisfactorily complete the program.
The
class is offered when the county referral list reaches a minimum of five
(5) youth. Our Agency
allows a maximum number of ten (10) youth in each session.
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