Diversity of How Youth Relate …

1. Diversity of How Youth Relate … Examining Gender-Specific Issues & Responsive Programming Presented by: Lynn Knezevich, Gwen’s Girls, Inc. Nancy Sabol, Gannondale Pat Yeager, Vision Quest Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth, and Family Services 2005 Membership Meeting

2. Outline • Overview of Gender-Specific/Responsive Services & Programs • Gender-Specific Clinical/Treatment Issues that often manifest and must be practically addressed • Focus on Trauma in Gender-Specific Treatment: Understanding & Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

3. Overview of Gender-Specific/ Responsive Services & Programs Lynn Knezevich, Gwen’s Girls, Inc.

4. Brief History of Gender-Responsive Programs 1970’s: • 1974: Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) passed • No gender-specific requirements mentioned • Focus on child rights & treatment of juveniles separate from adults • Had provisions to address specific needs of status offenders • 1976: Jean Baker Miller writes New Psychology of Women. • Feminist Theory & Relational Theory: increased understanding of how women & girls develop & relate; equal rights of women, etc.

5. Brief History of Gender-Responsive Programs 1980’s: • Increase in research & in development of female programming & services • 1981: Stone Center at Wellesley College Founded (by Miller et al.) • 1982: Carol Gilligan writes In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory & Women’s Development • 1985: PACE Center for Girls established

6. Brief History of Gender-Responsive Programs 1990’s: • 1992: Reauthorization of JJDP Act • Requires states to identify gaps in ability to provide svs to female offenders; analysis of svs required, as well as plan for providing svs • Represented first time for many states that an organized effort to scrutinize state system and how relates to adolescent females • Separate funding for 10 activities: Most states focus on est. policies to prohibit gender bias in placement & treatment and est. programs to ensure female youth have access to full range of svs • Led to new & improved efforts to better serve girls

7. Brief History of Gender-Responsive Programs 1990’s: some highlights • 1992: Judith Herman writes Trauma & Recovery • 1998: OJJDP publishes Guidelines for Promising Female Programming • Great deal of research re: G-S Services and Programming. • Pennsylvania: Established PTSD training & certified sites thru PCCD

8. Brief History of Gender-Responsive Programs 2000 to Present: National • 2002: Reauthorization of JJDP Act • requiring states to create a plan for providing G-S services • New funding stream thru Part C Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Block Grant • OJJDP/JABG creates Gender-Responsive Programming Curriculum

9. Brief History of Gender-Responsive Programs 2000 to Present: Pennsylvania • 2005: DPW’s Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) receives grant from PCCD to focus on development of a gender-responsive continuum of care for girls involved in Pennsylvania's juvenile justice system.  Contact: Jenna Mehnert, Director of Policy & Planning at DPW for more info at jmehnert@state.pa.us

10. Why Girls Need Gender-Competent Programs • Girls develop in unique & powerful ways that require specialized focus • Programs designed for boys do not address unique & complex needs of girls • Programs for are more successful when:

11. Definitions Gender-Specific Services comprehensively addresses the needs of a gender group (female or male), fostering positive gender identity development Gender-Responsive Programming (GRP) for girls intentionally allows gender to affect & guide services, creating an environment through site selection, staff selection, program development, content & material that reflects and understanding of the realities’ of girls lives, and is addresses and responds to the strengths, issues, and needs of the girls and young women being served

12. Definitions • OJJDP has defined GRP as those that are: • designed to meet UNIQUE NEEDS of young at-risk and delinquent girls • that value the FEMALE PERSPECTIVE • that celebrate & honor the FEMALE EXPERIENCE • that respect & take into account FEMALE DEVELOPMENT • that EMPOWER young women to reach their full potential

13. Recommendations for Overall Design • Organization & Management:“good gender-specific services begin with good services” • Program Policies • Assessment Tools, Screening Instruments & Intake Process • Quality Assurance (Collecting Data on girls; Outcome Measurements; continuous feedback & input) • Program Design & Service Delivery • Aftercare/Followup • Staff Qualifications & Staffing Patterns: • Hiring & Staff Diversity: Staffing should reflect diversity of population served • Training: in GRP, adolescent female development, risks & resiliency, knowledge of culture, and assessment • Staff Retention

14. Key Components of GRP

15. Key Components of GRP

16. Gender-Specific Clinical/Treatment Issues Nancy Sabol, Gannondale

17. Focus on Trauma in Gender-Specific Treatment: Understanding & Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Pat Yeager, Vision Quest

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