| Item Title: | JPD - 2019-0786 Empower Program / LSPI Intern (Jocabeth Castro) |
| Submitted By: | Roger Martinez, Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, Juvenile Justice Center (915) 849-2500 |
| Subject: | Approve and authorize the County Judge to sign the EMPOWER Program Academic 2019-2020 Contract for Internship of LSPI Student Jocabeth Castro on behalf of the El Paso County Juvenile Probation Department to provide compliance monitor and/or moderator services for program activities from November 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020 in an amount not to exceed $1,000. Funding is available in GF-JPD-PROF SVC-GEN. (Contact No. 2019-0786) |
| Background: | The EMPOWER Program is a mental health diversion collaboration involving the Juvenile Probation Department (JPD) and Law School Preparation Institute (LSPI). JPD provides the case management and juvenile supervision services, LSPI provides the quasi-judicial support. The program aims to divert low to moderate risk youth with serious mental illness from further penetration into the formal juvenile justice system through the establishment of long term linkages into community based treatment, advocacy and education for the youth and parents and a community restorative approach aimed to promote accountability.
Intern will act in a compliance monitor and/or moderator role and review all provided supporting documentation submitted with EMPOWER referral prior to the case plan staffing. Intern will be required to render an opinion about the case plan development and ongoing goals.
Review Family Status Review reports for assigned youth participants. Family Status Review reports are submitted by the Juvenile Probation Department to program partners twice monthly and outline youth’s progress to the Deferred Prosecution agreement and EMPOWER program recommendations on both the part of the youth and the family |
| Fiscal Impact: | Amount shall not exceed $1,000 or 90 hours.
Funds are available in account:
GF-JPD-PROF SVC-GEN
COGF-1003-0000000-431-30-30300-0368-00000-601107 |
| Recommendation: | Recommend For County Judge and Commissioners approve and sign the EMPOWER Agreement with the (Contractor) Jocabeth Castro and the University of Texas at El Paso. This program is under the supervision of Lisa Soto Esq. / UTEP Clinical Associate Professor |
| Prior Action: | N/A |
| Strategic Plan: | .. |
| Strategic Plan Information: | |