Transitional Employment For High Risk Young People

Rocas Target Population

Roca seeks out the most difficult, challenging individuals for whom other programming has failed, and systematically works to establish positive, consistent relationships built on trust and respect. Rocas target population has become more focused over the past year. Through this business plan, Roca proposes to continue to focus the delivery of its Intervention Model to address the needs of 17-24 year old young men who demonstrate a strong propensity for violence, crime and/or adult incarceration, who are either: 1. 2. 3. aging out of the juvenile justice or juvenile probation systems; connected with the adult justice system; or, are high risk youth from the community being served.

Note: Roca will continue to serve high risk young women and young parents through its site in Chelsea as a secondary target population.

Additional Characteristics of Target Population

Primary Target Population:
Little or no work history Gang, Street or Court Involved (in Springfield must have a Felony Charge) Dropped out of School, No GED Limited Employment History (history with no more than 6 months of employment retention)

Not ready, willing or able to participate in traditional programming In contemplation or pre-contemplation based on the stages of change

Organizational Outcomes
Reduction in incarcerations as tracked through violations and/or convictions of new crime; Reduction in days of incarceration; Increase in compliance with court-ordered conditions; and, Quantifiable movement towards economic independence through retained employment.

Rocas Intervention Model

The Intervention Model is a cognitive-restructuring and skills development intervention, enabling young people to transform their lives and move toward the outcomes of economic independence (successfully keeping a job) and living out of harms way (with a primary focus of staying out of prison). Building off of our success to date and pulling from evidencebased practices in behavioral health, criminal justice and workforce development, the Intervention Model includes two years of intensive programming with two additional years of follow up for retention and sustainability.

Rocas Intervention Model

Based on a framework for change used in medical and mental health fields, the Intervention Model has four core components:
1. 2. 3. relentless outreach, on-going and aggressive outreach and follow-up designed to meet young people where they are and build trust; transformational relationships, an intensive case management model; stage-based programming designed to increase young people ability to move toward economic independence through life skills, educational and pre-vocational, and employment programming; and, work with engaged institutional partners, a partnership model with criminal justice, health, education, and other institutions to increase systemic capacity for intervention with very high risk young people and provision of needed supports.

4.

Stage Based Programming: Employment Programming

Work with very high risk young people, helping them to move over the starting line to economic self-sufficiency, so that they can effectively help themselves by getting and keeping employment. Roca has created a series of critical pathways that allow young people to move towards economic self-sufficiency. Each of these pathways includes: 1. Job readiness programming that includes stage-based prevocational training; 2. Employment Programming with a focus on transitional employment 3. Employer partnerships; and, 4. Job development, job placement and job retention. Industry Focuses: Hospitality, Construction Trades, Culinary, Retail

Flow of Employment Programming

Tiered Approach to Employment Services

1st Tier

2nd

Tier

3rd

Tier

Job Placement

Stage Based Programming and Transitional Employment

Basic Transitional Employment
Work Crews, 7 young people and a working supervisor Revenue from Work Crew Contracts with local government, businesses, etc. Line of Sight Supervision 26 hours per week work, Paid $8.00 per hour for work hours only Required training day
Unpaid Includes both hard and soft skills

Designed to teach soft skills and positive work habits Maximum 18 months including time in rehire Job Readiness Benchmark: 60 consecutive days of employment

Stage Based Programming and Transitional Employment

Advanced Transitional Employment
Individual placements or work crews of 2 to 3 young people Indirect Supervision Allows for more hard skill development combined with extended supports from Roca Youth Workers to address non-work related issues Roca remains employer of record Required training/development component customized to young persons individual needs Revenue: Work site contracts for more advanced property maintenance, painting, contracts for individual placements, etc. Participants eligible when theyve completed 60 consecutive days of basic transitional employment Maximum Engagement of Participant: 3 to 4 months

FY11 Trans. Employ. Outcomes

Overall Basic Transitional Employment Programming # of participants enrolled # of participants still actively enrolled # in an active slot # in a bench slot # in a re-hire process # of participants who completed # of completers placed in jobs and/or re-engaged in education % placed who are retaining employment and/or training/education Advanced Transitional Employment Programming # of participants enrolled # of participants still actively enrolled # in an advanced slot # in advanced replacement # of participants who completed # of completers placed in jobs and/or re-engaged in education % placed who are retaining employment and/or training/education AmeriCorps Advanced Transitional Employment Programming # of participants enrolled Job Development and Placement # of participants placed in unsubsidized employment % of participants placed retaining employment Average # of days retained 156 98 30 26 42 31 27 63% 59 45 12 33 14 14 64% 25 88 77% 193 HR 146 97 30 26 41 30 26 62% 43 34 10 24 9 9 67% 12 68 76% 196

FY11 Graduate Outcomes

Roca randomly surveyed graduates of the Intervention Model. Of the 225 graduates who were supported in FY11, Roca collected information on 50% of the participants within a two week period.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Actual Overall, 90% Actual HR, 89%

80% Sustained Employment Retention/Educational Training

80% No New Arrests

Actual Overall, 86%

Actual HR, 77%

80% No New Pregnancies

Actual Overall, 81% Actual HR, 68%

Transitional Employment and Youth

Young people need to engage in transitional employment for longer than adults
The Average participant at Roca is engaged from 9 to 18 months The goal for job readiness is 60 consecutive days of employment

Young people engaged too long in transitional employment begin to regress

Young people engaged more than 18 months are less likely to obtain and retain unsubsidized employment

Programs must not only model work but must also support young people through behavior change and relapses
Multiple enrollments may be required Programs should account for relapses

Programs should address differing levels of readiness for work