The Upswing Program is designed to identify and work with youth and their parents who are at risk of becoming involved with the juvenile court system under a C.H.I.N.S. Petition.
The program seeks to identify young people between 6 and 17 years of age, and to offer an avenue for resolving problems before the situation reaches the stage where court involvement would be necessary.
The Upswing Program provides families with access to community services, advocacy, assessment services, crisis intervention, referral to long-term support agencies, and teaches decision-making and communication skills. The program aims to help all family members improve their relationships.
Criteria for eligibility:
-Truancy
- Running away
- Not following reasonable rules of parents
- Experiencing consistent problems in school
- Early signs of alcohol or drug use
- Behavior which is putting the youth at risk of coming into contact with the law.
Criteria for Ineligibility:
-court involvement
-juveniles with a current or past CHINS petition or for whom a CHINS petition has been filed and court action is pending
-juveniles for whom a CHINS petition would be more appropriate
-fire starting
-involvement with weapons
-history of violent behavior
-alcohol and other drug use that has resulted in sever social, family, or legal problems
-self-mutilation and other self-destructive behaviors which are actively dangerous to self
-youth currently in Court Diversion
-adjudicated youth with current or past delinquency convictions
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