A.S.C.E.N.D. (Accessing Skills, Competencies, Education via Networking and Development) Mentoring Program

The Second Chance Act (P.L. 110-199) authorizes grants to government agencies and nonprofit groups to provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victims' support, and other services to help adult and juvenile ex-offenders to transition successfully from incarceration to the community. OJJDP will provide grants to support mentoring and other transitional services essential to reintegrating juvenile offenders into their communities. Grants will be used to mentor juvenile offenders during secure confinement, through transition back to the community, and post-release; to provide transitional services to assist them in their reintegration into the community; and to support training in offender and victims issues. This program is authorized by the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, Pub. L. 112-110.

The Neighborhood First A.S.C.E.N.D (Accessing Skills, Competencies, Education via Networking and Development) Mentoring Program and its collaborating partners propose to provide intensive mentoring, assessment, wraparound, case management and reintegration services to 40 incarcerated juveniles. Through a comprehensive approach both pre and post release, ASCEND will provide screening, training, supervision and support to establish one year mentor/mentee matches, provide skills and challenges assessments, counseling, enrichment, vocational and life skills opportunities and family supportive services. The A.S.C.E.N.D project will expect the following outcomes and progress measures: recruit, screen and match mentors, provide case management for mentees for three years as measured by opened case files, decrease in re-arrests as measured by numbers of re-offenders within one year, decrease in use of ATOD as measured by testing and self report within one year, increase in high school diploma/GED attainment measured by graduates; increase in employment/vocational training measured by number employed or enrolled in training; increase in family relationships measured by family/self report and increase in social competence within one year measured by participant, staff and family report.
CA/NCF