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Program Definitions & Training Hours:

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Youth Mediation & Truancy Mediation: A private, informal meeting between youth and peers, family members, teachers and others to resolve disputes facilitated by a neutral third party. During mediation, youth are encouraged to communicate their concerns, listen to the other people’s concerns, identify needs and interests, offer solutions, and negotiate an agreement. The process provides youth an opportunity to learn communication skills, problem-solving skills, self-advocacy, and empathy. Truancy mediation addresses school attendance issues, including the impacts on all of those affected, with the goal of developing a mutually agreeable plan to address the truancy issues. Truancy is often an indicator of other problems the youth might be having at home or school and is often a precursor to future undisciplined and delinquent behavior.

- 10 Classroom Hours & 8 Assignment Hours for a total of 18 Hours (no prerequisite) - next class

September 3, 10, 17, 24, Oct 1, 2024

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Restorative Conferencing: (aka Victim-Youth Conferencing) A structured meeting led by a trained facilitator between youth who committed an offense (caused harm) and victim(s) of the offense (those who were harmed), and sometimes family, friends and community members. During the conference, youth hear the impact of their behavior on others, take responsibility for their actions, and work with the victim and other participants to develop a reparation agreement to repair the harm. The reparation agreement may include restitution, community service, and apology, as well as services to address needs of the youth that may have contributed to the harmful behavior. The process provides youth an opportunity to learn communication skills, problem-solving skills, self-advocacy, and empathy, as well as an opportunity to make things right and regain a positive place in the community. By facing the full human impact of the harm done, the youth hear first-hand the depth of the impact experienced by those most affected.

- 8 Classroom Hours & 7 Assignment Hours for a total of 15 Hours (prerequisite of RJ Intro 4 Hours or RJ Familiarity) - next class

March 5, 12, 19, 26 of 2024

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Peer Accountability Circles: (aka Sentencing Circles) A peer justice process to develop a plan of action that addresses concerns of interested parties, to address underlying causes of harmful behavior, while building a sense of community and its capacity for promoting and sharing common values. PA Circles provide an opportunity for the youth who caused harm to see first-hand the direct and indirect injuries caused by the offense, and the reasons for the limits of social tolerance. Moreover, the youth is provided with a constructive, proactive means of repairing the harm caused. The emphasis of PA Circles is not on punishment nor on rehabilitation; rather, it is on accountability.

- 8 Classroom Hours & 7 Assignment Hours for a total of 15 Hours (no prerequisite) - next class begins

July 9, 16, 23, 30 of 2024

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Family Group Conferencing: A family-centered meeting to build partnerships within and around families to protect and support youth and other family members and advance their well-being. Agencies and community groups collaborate around critical family issues such as delinquency, run-a-way, substance use, family violence, family property damage or larceny, placement, and re-entry, to develop a plan to address these issue(s). The process is designed to create a forum in which families have a meaningful voice; emphasis is given to preparing family group members and professionals, weighting conference participation toward the family, respecting the culture of the family, and ensuring timely approval and implementation of agreed-upon plans. A family may also be a group home, foster care home, or other non-traditional homes.

- 8 Classroom Hours & 7 Assignment Hours for a total of 15 Hours (prerequisite of RJ Intro 4 Hours or RJ Familiarity) - next class 

May 7, 14, 21, 28 of 2024

 

Restorative Teen Court: During a Restorative Teen Court there is a structured discussion with the youth who caused harm, the nature of the offense, impact of the behavior, and negative consequences. The Teen Court Jury Members, prepared for this function by intensive training in the restorative process, select a set of actions the youth who caused harm will take within a given time-period to make reparation for the offense. With the Restorative Justice model, youth who do harm respond better to a process that draws upon the community rather than the court system to express social condemnation of the offense, encourages these youth to feel ashamed of their behavior without stigmatizing them, elicits their repentance, and provides a means for them to repair any damages they caused. The most effective Restorative Teen Courts will refrain from adversarial contests between prosecution and defense and focus instead on facilitating and creating ways for youth to repair the harm they caused, either to themselves, specific persons or to the community in general.

- 10 Classroom Hours & 8 Assignment Hours for a total of 18 Hours (prerequisite of RJ Intro 4 Hours or RJ Familiarity) - held as needed

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Responsive Circles: A structured group meeting led by a trained facilitator to process and respond to a conflict or incident which has resulted in disruption or harm, such as violation of a policy, rule, or law. The circle process brings together those impacted who wish to engage in pro-active relationship-building, conflict resolution, and other activities in which honest communications, relationship development, and community building are core desired outcomes. Rather than merely impose a consequence to the wrongdoer, or engage in assertive discipline, Responsive Circles provide everyone with a turn to speak and result in a deeper understanding of the hurt or incident and what an appropriate path forward should be. Circles reinforce social skills in youth, such as courtesy, mutual respect, listening and speaking skills, and empathy.

- 8 Classroom Hours & 7 Assignment Hours for a total of 15 Hours (prerequisite of RJ Intro 4 Hours or RJ Familiarity) -

January 9, 16, 23, 30 of 2024

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