hays county juvenile center transitional aftercare … · transitional aftercare program vision ......

HAYS COUNTY JUVENILE CENTER

TRANSITIONAL AFTERCARE PROGRAM

VISION

To serve as the number one option for at risk youth services

MISSION STATEMENT “Showing Youth How Much We Care By Providing Quality Aftercare”

PROGRAM MOTTO In Position For Transition

1 Copyright © 2018 by Hays County Youth Initiative Program

TABLE OF CONTENT

i . Program History Page 2

I. Program Narrative & Summary Page 4

II. Program Stats Page 7

III. Program Testimonials 1

IV. In Loving Memory Page 13

V. Program Staff Page 15



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PROGRAM HISTORY

Special 12 t h Year Anniversary Edition

September 2006, Hays County Youth Initiative was first formed as a G.E.D. Prep Program specifically designed for juvenile probation clients who were deemed to be better served by a high school equivalency program while under supervision with Hays County Juvenile Probation. Assistant Chief Juvenile Probation Officer at that time, Shelly Williams, worked untiringly with Texas Education Agency to create a more comprehensive processs for Hays County juvenile probationers and juveniles in placement facilities, to have a clearer path to obtaining the G.E.D.

With readily available assistance from then, Community Action Adult Ed Director, Jon Engle and Adult Ed instructor Jacqui Mohr, the first onsite G.E.D. class was formed for Hays County Juvenile Center residents. As for juvenile probationers living within the community, transportation was provided to and from the Kyle Learning Center for G.E.D. classes, until a separate juvenile class was developed with Ms. Paula Simmons of Community Action as the first instructor. In 2010, the current portable building that now houses HCYI, officially became the new school for Hays County Youth Initiative classes.

Twelve years later, Hays County Youth Initiative has evolved into a thriving high school equivalency prep & test center, college & employment readiness training program, and a community resource center for Hays County Juvenile Probation and Juvenile Center Clients. With over a decade of serving this community, today Hays County Youth Initiative stands tall as a leading Youth Service Provider. We’re celebrating a successful past, and looking forward to an even more promising future!



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“We lovingly dedicate this special 2 018 edition of HCYI ’s Off icial Handbook,

to the Shero of juvenile justice and backbone to this program’s overall

efforts , Ms. Shelly Will iams! Thank you for your many years of service and

investment into the l ives of countless youth. In r eflecting the gene sis of this

program and where it is now, HCYI is what it is today because of you fighting

for al l youth to have access to quality program services! Words cannot

express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support, consistent

encouragement, words of wisdom, and your professional guidance and

mentorship that has sustained HCYI for the past 12 years.” -Brother Wayne

Shelly Williams Hays County Chief Juvenile Probation Officer



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Program Narrative

Hays County Juvenile Center (HCJC) Transit ional Aftercare Program, publical ly known as Hays County Youth Init iat ive (HCYI) , is the f irst phase of aftercare programming for juveni les housed at HCJC. In addit ion to offering services for Post Adjudicated HCJC Cl ients, HCYI also serves local teens that are under the supervision of Hays County Juvenile Probation (HCJP) . Juveni le c l ients are referred for services by their respect ive Probation Off icer and given an individual Aftercare Plan to fol low. Program efforts primari ly focus on helping teens in three key areas:

Academic Recovery

Employment & Col lege Readiness

Community Resource Assistance

Program Summary & Description

Hays County Youth Init iat ive:

HCYI is the col laborat ive effort of HCJC Transit ional Aftercare Program, HCJP

Dept. , and a host of local community partners. The program ’s phi losophy is

that by helping youth take responsibi l i ty now for education and career

aspirat ions, they posit ion themselves in the future for independent

responsible l iving and greater opportunities .

The Transit ional Aftercare Coordinator serves as program supervisor and

oversees HCYI program logist ics including development and implementat ion of

program concepts , monitors program performance, assesses program needs,

and bui lds substantive partnerships in order to perpetuate ongoing program

init iat ives. HCYI students typical ly fal l between the ages of 16 to 17. Along

with receiving their High Schoo l Equivalency Diploma, students are required

to obtain employment and/or complete the Texas Success In it iat ive (TSI)

col lege entry exam or SAT.



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Academic Recovery :

In an aggressive attempt to lower high school dropout rates among local at-

r isk teens, e l igible HCJC and HCJP Cl ients are given opportunity to part icipate

in the High School Equivalency Test ing Program, (HiSET). After offering G.E.D.

classes for 11 years, HCYI switched to HiSET in 2018 as its off icial program of

choice. HiSET provides an alternate means for students to obtain a high school

equivalency diploma while in placement or on supervised juveni le probation.

A major deciding factor in select ing to use HiSET was its abi l i ty to determine a

student’s level of col lege preparedness in a part icular subject area .

“Since its inception in September of 2006, HCYI has graduated over 600

students from the program and served hundreds more by helping them start

the high school equivalency test process .”

HiSET Classes are offered Mon-Thurs for HCJP Cl ients who are withdrawn from

public school in order to complete the HiSET. For HCJC Cl ients , classes are

offered Mon- Fri during a one-period session. Al l academic ef forts are

overseen by the Academic Program Coordinator who f aci l i tates student

assessments, instructs HiSET classes/tutorials, tracks students’ academic

progress, and makes recommendation for off icial test opportunit ies . A key

partnership in HCYI’s academic recovery efforts is with Community Act ion

Inc. , which provides professional development training, coachin g for

instructors, and class resources. HCYI also serves as an off icial HiSET test

center, giving cl ients the chance to take the off icial HISET examination as

soon as they meet the required level of preparedness .



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Steps for HiSET enrollment:

1. Init ial referral and assessment

2. Approved by JPO & court order s igned by Judge

3. Withdrawn from public school

4. Assigned HCYI start date

Employment & Col lege Readiness:

HCYI, in col laborat ion with local communi ty partners, provides employment

readiness education, career advising, and on the job training opportunit ies for

teens who are seeking to transit ion into the mil itary, cert i f icate programs,

community col lege, and/or immediately into the workforce. Key Employment

& Col lege Readiness Partners include Aust in Community Col lege (ACC), Texas

State University, Community Act ion Inc., Texas Workforce Solut ion, and ASVAB

Career Explorat ion Program.

Community Resource Assistance:

To ensure that a wide -range of resources wit hin the local community is more

easi ly accessible to al l youth, HCYI, for the purpose of referring cl ients, seeks

out partnerships with service providers who offer assistance with health

services, mentorship , f inancial l i teracy, ut i l i ty assistance, food pr ovisions,

clothing, assistance with transportat ion and various other needs that might

arise while juveni le cl ients are in our program. Key Community Resource

Assistance Partners include Greater San Marcos Youth Counci l , Hays County

Food Bank, San Marcos Po l ice Department, Texas State Phi losophy

Department, Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union, Cent ral Texas Life Care

Center, Community Act ion Inc. and Hays County Rel igious Services.



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Aftercare Program Statistics

(The following is a breakdown of time/resources invested into each aftercare program entity)

12 Year Program Overview

Total Clients Served In Aftercare: 4,020

Total Clients Served Through Academics: 782

Total Graduate Completions: 623 (601 GED & 22 HiSET completed as of Oct 1st, 2018)

Total Program Graduation Rate: 80%

Top Three Program Success Factors (taken from 2015 student survey)

Probationary Supervision

Self-Paced Academics

One-on-One Attention

*Numbers are based off of HCJC and HCJP combined aftercare caseloads over past 12yrs.



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2018 Spring/Summer Program Statistics

Academic Recovery:

Total student contact

Students met: 47

Assessed but never began testing: 9

*Began testing but not completed: 6

Graduates: 17

Initial Assessments before prep: 48% not prepared to pass, 29% somewhat prepared to pass, 23% prepared to pass

Student pass rate on official test after prep: 77% (Almost half of students entering HCYI are not prepared to pass the official test. 77% pass when receiving weekly preparation.)

Student Breakdown:

HCJC HCJP

Amount of prep time: 1-2 hours per week 12 hours of class per week

Students Served: 28 19

Assessed but never tested: 5 4

Did not complete all subjects: 5 1

Currently in program: 11 4

Graduates: 7 10

Average passing score: 11.4 12.2

Official test pass rate: 70% 87%

HCYI total Spring/Summer student population pass rate shows to be almost 90%. This directly correlates with students who receive more preparation time before taking official tests.

* 4 students released or transferred after beginning; 2 unable to finish final test before release.



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2018 Spring/Summer Program Statistics

Employment & College Readiness:

Community Resource Assistance:



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WE PROUDLY SALUTE OUR

PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Thank you for your invaluable contributions made to youth

throughout the Hays County Community and beyond! The unique

services that each partner provides, has helped to position HCYI

students for greater success!



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PROGRAM TESTIMONIALS

“The program not only gave me a second chance at education, but also opened my eyes to the real world. It helped me focus at t imes when I needed it the most. I t kept me out of trouble and gave me hope when al l was lost! I f i t wasn’t for this program, I would have been a straight drop out and probably would have never continued to at least try to get some type of education. The guidance from the staff and Brother Wayne was more than enough! They never gave up on me and motivated me to strive for better things in my future and for that I am forever grateful” .

- Christ ian (Former HCYI Student )

“Through the years, the High School Equivalency Program at Hays Juveni le Center has been a tremendous asset for many of our juveni les from Fort Bend County. Most of our juveni les, who previously struggled in school, have been able to focus and earn their GED/HiSet while in the program. This accomplishment has given them a feel ing of success and achievement which has carried over to other areas of their l ives. Mr. Thompson is wil l ing to work di l igently with every juveni le we refer to the program and goes over and above in overcoming any obstacles encountered in the process . We are very grateful for this program and the advantages it provides for our juveni les.” - JPO, Cynthia Durbin (Ft. Bend County Juveni le Probation)



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TESTIMONIALS

“This program has provided unique opportunity for many of the youth on my

caseload who were academical ly discouraged to complete their h igh school

equivalency test ing requirements while in placement. It has also given hope

and a sense of purpose to them by providing them with the opportunity to

complete an important l i fe goal”

-JPO Joel Hines (Brazos County Juveni le Probation)

“Thank you and the staff for the support given to our youth. I had several earn their GED or pass some of the tests, who never thought they had the abi l ity to do so. They are ones who would surprise you by the growth they had since discharging from the pro gram. I know several who have maintained without further involvement in the criminal system, gainful ly employed, and some who have continued their education in col lege. By the support and encouragement given, you gave them confidence to continue to bui ld o n what they learned in your program and become successful and product ive members of the community. The bel ief your staff showed in them turned into bel ief in themselves.

-JPO Tamara Wible (Bexar County Juveni le Probation)



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In Loving Memory (Celebrating the Life of Three Amazing Community Educators)

†

KIM BOLLMAN

Ms. Bollman worked as a San Marcos ISD elementary school counselor for many years. She

also served as the GED Chief Examiner for Hays County and was an integral part of creating

the process for Juvenile Center and Juvenile Probation Clients to take the official GED exam

in San Marcos. Ms. Bollman was a fighter and continued to serve her community through

her battle with cancer. Before her passing, Ms. Bollman helped to see numerous Hays

County Youth take the official GED exam and receive their GED certificate.

†

BILLIE HOLBEIN

Ms. Holbein, a Language Arts teacher employed by Jim Hogg ISD (Hebbronville, TX) for many

years, later retired and taught school in Laredo, TX. After relocating to the San Marcos area,

Ms. Holbein sought out a place where she could volunteer her years of experience as an

educator. Once finding the HCYI program, Ms. Holbein began volunteering as a GED Tutor

until her sudden passing in April 2012.

†

PEGGY HOFFMAN

Ms. Hoffman held various positions with Lockhart ISD, including Elementary School Principal until she retired. After coming out of retirement, she served as Asst. Principal, Field Trip

Coordinator, and volunteer at school events such as “Reading Is Fun”, where she helped to ensure every child received a free book. Ms. Hoffman assisted the community education department by helping with GED testing, where she helped many Hays County Juvenile Center and Juvenile Probation clients take the official GED test. Ms. Hoffman and her

husband passed away together unexpectedly on Tuesday, March, 7, 2017.



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PROGRAM REFLECTIONS



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HCYI Program Staff

Admin Advisor………………………….…….……..…Asst. Chief JPO Jesse Deleon

Admin Advisor…………..………….……………………………..Senior JPO Lisa Day

Admin Advisor……………..……………………………Senior JPO Laura Hernandez

Program Supervisor……………….…………. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .…………Wayne Thompson

Academic Program Coordinator……..…………………….. .……….Chris Kauffman

Program Assistant………………………….…………………….…..……Cindy Garza

Community Partner Liaison………………..…………………..…….. Jesse Saavedra

Hays HiSET Test Proctors

Clair Simmons

Fel ix Tamaz

Mitchel l Stanton

Wayne Thompson

Co-Aftercare Program Supervisors

Re-entry Program……………………………………..………..Joel Ware, Jr .

HCJP Aftercare…………………………………………………..DeShon Ridge

Administration

Chief Juveni le Probation Off icer……………………………..Shel ly Wil l iams

HCJC Faci l i ty Administrator………………..…….….………..Brett L itt lejohn

hays county juvenile center transitional aftercare … · transitional aftercare program vision ......

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