(1220) Youth Services Center

(50) Probation

Department Mission/Vision

The San Benito County Youth Services Center is the primary community resource for justice involved youth. It is part of a system of care that provides a safe, protective, and home-like environment while promoting responsibility, and fostering responsible and accountable behavior for youth through a trauma-informed approach. Our purpose is to promote resiliency while strengthening community connections.

 

Values:

  • Youth experience success in the community
  • Programs and services are provided in a trauma-informed and professional manner
  • Successful reentry

Division Overview

The San Benito County Youth Services Center is a 24-hour a day, seven days a week, secure detention facility with a rated capacity to house up to 24 youth. The facility is staffed by Juvenile Institution Officers (JIO's) who supervise the youth and are responsible for their care, custody, and control. The Youth Services Center (YSC) is a temporary holding facility for youths awaiting court and serves as the commitment facility for youth post-disposition. Additionally, the facility has the capacity to serve secure track youth up to the age of 25. The YSC is operated in accordance with the regulations set forth in the California Minimum Standards for Juvenile Facilities, Title 15. Services include, but are not limited to, academic programming, medical and behavioral health care, organized recreation, religious services, and strengths-based programming facilitated by several community-based organizations.

STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS AREAS

The budget requests of the San Benito County Youth Services Center (YSC) directly correlate with the county's Strategic Plan goals in the areas of Operational Development and Excellence, Technology, Community Engagement and Healthy and Safe Community.

 

  • Operational Development and Excellence

The Youth Services Center strives to recruit and retain employees who are mission focused, skilled in the delivery of culturally responsive, trauma informed care services, and embrace continuous improvement. Through training and hands on experience, the Youth Services Center strives for the development of future leaders and positive role models in the community. The department has upgraded the furniture in the dayroom which is used for programming, recreation, and meals to further promote a homelike environment. The department has purchased new desks and chairs for each individual room for youth to use at their leisure. A calming corner will be implemented to include access to headphones for music and mindful reflection. The facility has upgraded the painting, flooring, and room accommodations, to include area rugs in each room, chalkboard paint on the walls, and upgraded bedding. A culinary cart has been purchased to enhance vocational programming as the facility does not have its own kitchen. All of these upgrades have been made to further promote the safety, security, and well-being of detained youth, to include secure track youth.

 

  • Technology

The Youth Services Center is committed to maximizing the effective and efficient use of evolving technologies to deliver exemplary service to the youth in their care and the reintegration of these youth into the community. Youth are provided with ORIJIN educational services using tablets. To further accommodate secure track youth in longer commitments, the San Benito County Youth Services Center has upgraded the security camera system. The YSC has added an additional nine cameras to the facility, bringing the total amount up from seven to 16. The YSC control panel has been updated in the facility and the department is in the process of migrating to a new case management system, eProbation. The YSC will need to install a new wireless network to include a new switch to have a 10GB fiber connection to County NOC. This solution is fully cloud managed and will integrate into a future fully integrated County Network Cloud Managed Solution. This upgrade meets all compliance requirements such as HIPA, PCI, etc. In building out a fabric-based network, the County will be able to easily deploy and manage various departmental services and solutions quickly, easily and securely with resources, partnerships and extensive in-house expertise.

 

  • Community Engagement

The Youth Services Center fosters partnerships with other agencies to expand and enhance the quality of service while maximizing the use of limited resources. Programming is sought through community-based organizations and fostering partnerships with members in the community who care about the future and well-being of incarcerated youth. The YSC has partnered with Guidance Gardens to bring forth a new gardening program.          

 

  • Healthy and Safe Community

The Youth Services Center promotes public safety through evidence-based programs and services with the overall goal of reducing recidivism and successful reentry into the community.

STAFF

Recommended Budget

RECENT DEPARTMENTAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

  • Working on the CalAIM Implementation Plan following the receipt of $1.5 million in CalAIM PATH Round 3 Funding
  • Applied for a Workforce Development Navigator (WDN) grant through the Office of Youth and Community Restoration and secured funding in the amount of $210,000.00 over a three-year period.
  • The YSC has partnered with Guidance Gardens to bring forth a new gardening program for youth to participate in.
  • Partnered with the San Benito County Art’s Council on a mural project in the classroom at the YSC.
  • Developed and implemented 16 new procedures for staff to coincide with Lexipol Policies for the YSC.
  • Maintained food safety training program for youth to obtain a food handlers certificate and prepare the youth for entry level employment in the food service industry.
  • Completed several hiring recruitments for the San Benito County Youth Services Center and hired nine (9) new staff to include extra-help Juvenile Institution Officers (JIO), a Supervising Deputy Probation Officer, and JIO's.
  • Expanded and maintained the Partners Achieving Change Together (PACT) team program for youth; to include contracted services with a licensed forensic psychologist.
  • Newly retained responsibility over juvenile warrants in lieu of this falling on the county jail for entering, tracking, and deleting juvenile warrants issued by the Superior Court.
  • Completed/Passed Inspections:
    • Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) Targeted Inspections
    • Public Health inspection
    • Environmental Health Inspection
    • School Inspection
    • Fire inspection by the Hollister Fire Department
    • Juvenile Justice Commission inspection
    • Presiding Judge’s inspection
    • Building Inspection

TOP DEPARTMENTAL CONCERNS:

  • Requests to reduce the overall YSC budget which will compromise services, programs, staffing, and public safety
  • Obtaining a new medical service provider for the YSC, to include medical, dental, behavioral health, and psychiatric services
  • Implementation of CalAIM
  • Lack of adequate pay for juvenile institution officer staff to retain in San Benito County and not seek employment in surrounding counties.
  • Ongoing staff recruitment and retention due to non-competitive salaries with surrounding counties.
  • SB 823 – Insufficient Secure Track youth funding to support realigned youth and meet the demands of the Juvenile Justice Realignment following the closure of the Division of Juvenile Justice.
  • The ability to provide sufficient training to newly hired staff while also maintaining minimum staffing levels.
    • Providing ongoing training for newer staff to work with special populations and secure track youth (SB 823).

Long Range Planning Goals (3-5 years) For Department

  • Facilitating secure youth track programming in our local facility to be in compliance with the Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) and the SB 823 Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan
    • Evaluate the possibility of developing a Less Restrictive Program (LRP) for secure track youth in San Benito County
  • Develop and implement more evidence-based programming and practices.
  • Expand the educational opportunities for youth to include vocational and secondary education opportunities
  • Full implementation of the new case management system – eProbation
  • Annually review and update policies and procedures to increase safety, reduce liability, and maintain compliance with Title 15 and Title 24 regulations.
  • Cross training of probation officer staff
  • Reclassification of Juvenile Institution Officer to Deputy Probation Officer
  • Implementation of a Power BI dashboard (extracting data from the probation case management system) to enhance transparency with facility accomplishments and facility operations
  • Revaluating the use of the YSC Shed to enhance programming opportunities for youth