Decreasing Recidivism among Juveniles with Brain Injury Re-Entering the Community using Resource Facilitation

The Second Chance Act Youth Offender Reentry Program supports states, local governments, and tribal governments in partnership with interested persons (including Federal corrections and supervision agencies), service providers, and nonprofit organizations to provide comprehensive reentry services for moderate to high-risk youthful offenders before, during, and after release from confinement.

The Florida Department of Justice’s (FDJJ’s) project, Decreasing Recidivism among Juveniles with Brain Injury Re-Entering the Community using Resource Facilitation, will create and evaluate a traumatic brain injury (TBI) continuum of services for juvenile offenders reentering the community from residential placement. This is a collaborative effort between FDJJ, the University of South Florida Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling Program, Youth Opportunity Foundation, and Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. The project will ensure juveniles receive screening for a lifetime history of TBI at four residential treatment program sites. Youth with brain injury and cognitive impairment returning to project catchment areas throughout Florida will receive Resource Facilitation, a brain injury-specific care management intervention with demonstrated recidivism reduction results for adult offenders and promising results for juveniles. Resource Facilitation begins during residential placement and continues post-reentry in the youth’s home community, and provides an opportunity for youth to have their reentry needs identified and acted on proactively so they are connected with appropriate rehabilitation services and supports in their communities, including Pre-Employment Transition Services such as: 1) career exploration counseling, 2) work readiness training, 3) self-advocacy training, 4) post-secondary educational counseling, and 5) community-based work experiences (e.g., on-site job coaching. CA/NCF