Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Reducing Risk Increasing Pro-Social Skills through BBBS Youth Mentoring

The Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative, Category 1 (National Mentoring Program) provides funding to support national mentoring organizations in their efforts to strengthen and/or expand their existing mentoring activities within local chapters or sub-awardees (in at least 45 states) to reduce juvenile delinquency, drug abuse (specifically opioid abuse), truancy, and other problem and high-risk behaviors. FY 2019 funding will address the factors that can lead to or serve as a catalyst for delinquency or other problem behaviors in underserved youth, including youth in high-risk environments. Programs are required to target American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth, and are also highly encouraged to target their mentoring services to children of parents on active military duty; children of incarcerated parents; youth with disabilities; youth impacted by opioids; and youth in rural communities. This program is authorized by Pub L. No. 116-6, 133 Stat. 13, 115.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) aims to increase pro-social skills and behaviors and decrease the risk of future juvenile delinquency. The target populations are youth ages 9–17 who (1) live in communities that experience high rates of crime, community violence, drug abuse, failing schools, and gang concentration; (2) are currently involved or have been involved in the juvenile justice system; (3) have a parent engaged in active military duty; (4) are American Indian/Alaska Native (Al/AN), living on or off the reservation; (5) have a disability; (6) have an incarcerated parent; and/or (7) live in a rural community. BBBSA will reach thousands of at-risk youth, and will make subgrants to agencies in at least 41 states to expand its mentoring services under the FY 2019 award. BBBSA has extensive experience working with tribal governments and AI/AN communities to engage and serve Al/AN youth and will continue to partner with tribal education and social services organizations and tribal justice departments to increase program awareness and referrals in tribal communities. BBBSA will also expand and enhance the Bigs In Blue program, which helps law enforcement engage with communities where they serve and improve relationships that can increase public safety. BBBSA will collect data regularly from subrecipients and report on all required OJJDP performance measures. OJP’s performance measure data reporting requirements and internal improvements to the program are the only intended purposes for collecting data. No portion of the funding will be utilized for research. CA/NCF