As part of its continuing reform efforts, the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) has initiated a comprehensive effort to provide a range of services, support and opportunities to District youth involved in the juvenile justice system and committed to the agency’s care. The goal is to work closely with families in their own communities to ensure a youth’s successful transition to adulthood and safer neighborhoods for all.

Working with local organizations and advocates that serve District youth, and with their families, DYRS has designed the Lead Entity/Service Coalition Initiative to provide and coordinate a wide range of services, supports, and opportunities as identified in each youth’s Individual Development Plan and developed through a Youth Family Team Meeting, which actively involves all of the stakeholders in a young person’s life. These include traditional services, such as monitoring and supervision, but also developmental opportunities such as behavioral health services, mentoring, recreational and cultural activities, leadership development, service to the community, workforce readiness and tutoring.

In partnership with DYRS, the Children’s Youth Investment Trust Corporation, CYITC awarded a total of two grants; one each to two different organizations who will serve as Lead Entities for Service Coalitions.

The selected Lead Entities and geographical regions for the Service Coalitions are:

1. Lead Entity: East of the River Clergy Police Community Partnership 

Region I: Wards 7 & 8

2. Lead Entity: Progressive Life 

Region II: Wards 1-6

Both organizations have engaged in an inclusive process that has coalesced more than 30 community-based organizations as part of each of their Service Coalitions.

The initiative will help rebuild fragmented communities and involve young people in community development, thereby improving their communities’ outcomes by:

• Promoting community cohesiveness
• Encouraging reliance on community resources
• Contributing to community development
• Enhancing community capacity to respond to the needs of DYRS youth and families

Notwithstanding the challenges of this kind of revamping of our community services and supports, DYRS has moved forward to do what is in the best interests of youth in our care and under our supervision consistent with public safety. Our goal is to create the nation’s best continuum of care for these youth and families through this neighborhood-based and neighborhood empowering program that emphasizes individual strengths, personal accountability, skill development, positive family interaction and support, and community involvement in the process.