Seeking Excellence Through Leadership and Training

The OJJDP FY 09 Earmarks Programs further the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Explanatory Statement Regarding H.R. 1105 (Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009), 155 Cong. Rec. H1653 (daily ed. Feb. 23, 2009) (statement by Rep. Obey, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House).

The overall goal of the Pace Center for Girls (PACE) is provide meaningful interventions to assist girls in building their protective factors and decreasing their risk factors. To accomplish this, a training team will develop the PACE Tool Kit to help staff in the delivery of the PACE model. The PACE operates on the premise the staffs' understanding of girls' past trauma and how trauma drives behavior is essential to successful interventions and the development of effective case management. Through this project, PACE staff will have a tool kit of interventions and the training to implement them to assist girls in acquiring new skills to guide behavior. The PACE Tool Kit is comprised of behavior management techniques and interventions and will be implemented as a Training of Trainers so that each center has a trainer to continually train staff and ensure an ongoing continuous improvement process.

Spirit Singers Training is a component of the tool kit that supports the gender responsive curriculum and requires specific training. Long-term project outcomes will be an increase in protective factors for girls transitioning from PACE, a decrease in risk factors for girls transitioning from PACE, improved assessment measurements, and a reduction in rates of recidivism for girls transitioning from PACE. Data collection will also measure the following project outcomes: 1) increase in knowledge of gender responsive and evidence-based practices in working with at-risk girls; 2) increase in knowledge of staff management practices; and 3) increase in knowledge of gender-responsive behavior management skills. NCA/NCF