La Jolla Tribal Youth Program - Prevention through collaboration

Part of the Indian Country Law Enforcement Initiative, a joint initiative of DOJ and the U.S. Department of the Interior to improve law enforcement and the administration of criminal and juvenile justice in Indian country, OJJDP's Tribal Youth Program (TYP) supports and enhances tribal efforts to prevent and control delinquency and strengthen the juvenile justice system for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth. This program is authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended and the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2009, Pub. L. 111-8.

The La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians, a federally recognized tribe, is located in San Diego County. La Jolla proposes a culturally tailored, evidence-based prevention program. The program will impact youth, family and peer risk factors for delinquency, including risk factor identification, anti-gang/anti-gun education and truancy and school drop-out prevention. La Jolla will provide intensive services to 220 school aged American Indian youth at risk for delinquency. The La Jolla tribe considers all of their children to be at risk and in need of delinquency prevention. La Jolla will collaborate with the public schools located in Pauma Valley and community organization to provide a school-based, after-school and summer school program to Native American youth living on or near La Jolla. Year round services include a culturally sensitive risk factor identification tool. School-based services consist of a vigorous and comprehensive plan, bringing together students, parents, teachers and law enforcement for each participating American Indian student at the public school where these students attend, and after-school and summer programs at the La Jolla Education Center in Pauma Valley, California. Groups will focus on academic strengthening, and preventing and reducing truancy, school drop-out and gang/gun related activity. Parenting resources will be available, as well as a Parent Advisory Committee will be formed. A resolution has been passed in favor of this application by the La Jolla government, which consists of a Chairwoman and 4 council members elected to one year appointments on an intermittent basis. CA/NCF