Three programs for court-adjudicated youth within Catholic Social Services’ Saint Gabriel’s System were awarded more than $60,000 in grants through the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Initiative and released by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services (BJJS) and Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). This funding will allow for vital upgrades to technology resources and classroom spaces.
De La Salle Vocational (DLSV), a day treatment center of Catholic Social Services’ Saint Gabriel’s System, was awarded a grant for $19,837 for upgrades in their Career Center. As a result of the funding, fifteen classrooms will soon be equipped with smart televisions and Wi-Fi accessible Surface Pro Pads allowing for access to the Internet as well as other resources that will allow DLSV to serve students with special needs.
Saint Gabriel’s Hall (SGH), a residential program for court-adjudicated young men, was awarded $18,385 for their Career Technical Education’s Culinary Arts Program, which requires fundamental equipment in order to adequately store and prepare food. The purchase of a freezer and food processor will provide the culinary arts class necessary place to store food items and to efficiently prepare food by utilizing equipment they would encounter at an authentic job site.
Lastly, The Mitchell Program, a day residential treatment program associated with SGH and organized around daily operation of a working farm, received $24,012 which will provide fundamental safety upgrades to the structure of the barn which houses the program’s Crime Repair Classroom and corresponding equipment used by students. The program is designed to assist Philadelphia citizens in repairing their homes damaged by crimes as well as teach youth basic carpentry and home repair skills.
The young men enrolled in these programs often come with serious gaps in their education, relational skills, and family/community support systems. While getting up to grade level with their academics, students enroll in career technical training to earn industry-recognized certifications in the culinary arts, building maintenance, auto repair services, Microsoft Office, and landscaping/horticulture. The academic curriculum is fully aligned with that of the School District of Philadelphia to ensure a seamless return to public schools for those who do not graduate from the SGS programs.
These programs are affiliates of the Pennsylvania Academic and Career/Technical Training Alliance (PACTT). They are reviewed annually by PACTT and maintain affiliation based on standards met. PACTT has been recognized as an essential component in Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Justice System Enhancement Strategy (JJSES). The project strives to ensure that delinquent youth receive appropriate academic, and career & technical training opportunities through committed affiliate partnerships with residential, community based and post-placement providers across the juvenile justice community.
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Editor’s Note: Established in 1899 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers as the Philadelphia Protectorate for Boys, Saint Gabriel’s Hall is a residential program located in Audubon, Montgomery County, serving young men ages 10 to 18 adjudicated by the Philadelphia court system. Today, dedicated lay people inspired by the Lasallian mission continue to provide a structured setting where 200 youth receive transformative therapeutic and educational support. Residential treatment employs a team approach to rehabilitation with educators, child care workers, social workers, psychologists and counselors working together to provide an individualized treatment plan for each client in care.
De La Salle Vocational is a day treatment center of the St. Gabriel’s System located in Bensalem, Bucks County, where educational, vocational and behavioral support services are offered to court-adjudicated youth. The program educates approximately 300 young men over the course of the year in academics as well as Carpentry, Auto Mechanics, and Culinary Arts, and boasts excellent job placement rates due to comprehensive career development assistance.
The Mitchell Program is an intensive 120 day residential treatment program located in Audubon, Montgomery County for court-adjudicated young men ages 13 to 18 focused on balanced and restorative justice, Sanctuary Model of Trauma Informed Care and therapeutic principles, followed by 6 months of community-based reintegration services. The Mitchell Program provides a year-round, on-site accredited academic school program to earn credits as well as opportunities for GED testing. Weekly on-site family visitation is offered as well as individual, group and family therapy services.