MHASD Second Chance Father2Child Program

The FY 2015 Second Chance Act Strengthening Relationships Between Young Fathers and Their Children: A Reentry Mentoring Project helps ensure that the transition young fathers make from secure confinement facilities back to their families and their communities is successful and promotes public safety. This program will fund mentoring and comprehensive transitional services, emphasizing developing parenting skills, to offenders who are young fathers. The goals of the program are to reduce recidivism among young fathers; improve outcomes for young fathers, their children, and family members; and promote responsible fatherhood. The objectives of this program are to provide young fathers with supportive mentoring and transitional services in both confinement and in the community based on and matched to their assessed risks and parenting needs that support their successful reentry.

The Mental Health Association in San Diego Inc. (MHASD), through the Father2Child Mentoring Program, will provide services to improve father-child relationships and reduce recidivism for 190 multi-ethnic San Diego County young fathers ages 16-25 as they re-enter their communities following incarceration. MHASD will provide pre-release engagement services beginning 60-90 days pre-release and post-release services that include blended mentoring and coaching activities. MHASD will leverage existing Father2Child staffing and administrative support in order to streamline supervision and program management activities. Additionally, MHASD already possesses and is trained to deliver the 24/7 Dad Curriculum, and will leverage existing staff expertise to ensure an efficient and timely planning and start-up process, including the training of new staff. MHASD will leverage relationships already in place with San Diego Connty Probation, state juvenile justice departments, and community­ based partners to ensure county-wide access to service delivery locations and program referrals for participants.

CA/NCF