Reentry Services for Juveniles Improve Odds of Success
Research demonstrates that reentry services and aftercare programs which connect youth with professional case managers, mentors, and education and/or employment opportunities can reduce recidivism. GEO Reentry offers evidence-based reentry services in residential and non-residential settings for juveniles involved in the criminal justice system. These highly structured programs encourage cognitive skill-building and address individual risk factors, all while involving the family in treatment. Youth become more resilient, adopt constructive habits and curb problematic behaviors, ultimately improving their odds of success upon reentry.
Individual Counseling and Services
When a juvenile enters the program, their case manager administers an individual risk/needs assessment and uses that data to create a behavior change plan that outlines pathways for achievement. Participants are held accountable throughout the program at weekly meetings and individual counseling sessions, and following completion, benefit from a multi-tiered aftercare program designed to ensure long-term behavior change.
Family Services
Involving family in treatment is key to how GEO Reentry’s juvenile reentry program works. A visit coach meets with the participant’s parents or guardians and empowers them to plan productive visits with children at their residential facility. Case managers work both with participants and parents to improve communication, shore up support systems and strengthen overall family structure and cohesion.
Group Treatment
Participants are required to take part in scheduled groups on a range of topics, including trauma-informed programming, substance use treatment, anger management, restorative justice and Moral Reconation Therapy®, a cognitive skills rehabilitation system designed to challenge the thinking errors that enable criminality. Combined, these varied skill-building sessions work to incorporate the input of peers and to build trust in the program.
Structured Activities and Workshops
Employment, health and finances are three key aspects of a youth’s life once they reenter their communities. Through GEO Reentry’s employment workshops, juvenile participants gain the skills necessary to enhance interview skills and search and apply for jobs, while workshops on health topics and budgeting provide additional tools for their reentry success.