Youth Level of Service Inventory Program

Program Foundation

Hale `Opio, Kaua’i, Inc. is piloting the YLSI Program, working in partnership with the Kaua’i County Prosecutor and the Family Court-Fifth Circuit. The program supports a shift in the juvenile justice system from punishment to more restorative justice. The foundational approach of this shift stems from the idea that the issues surrounding a youth’s offense must be identified and addressed to help get the youth “back on track” and prevent re-offense.

The YLSI is a dynamic, comprehensive, and research-based assessment tool that collects information around different areas in a youth’s life and focuses on those factors that are most linked with recidivism. This information is then used to guide interventions and goal setting with the youth. The YLSI tool is currently being used by the Family Courts on Maui and the Big Island of Hawai’i as well.

The program aims to:

• Strengthen youth’s skills

• Strengthen family bonds

• Strengthen youth’s ties to the community

• Prevent re-offense

program OverVIew

The YLSI Program is a pilot program and an alternative to Family Court for youthful offenders and their families. The program is based on providing the appropriate early community-based intervention services to youth with the goal of preventing re-offense while diverting youth from the traditional juvenile justice system.

The YLSI Program focuses on:

• Why the offense was committed
• How the youth can better get their needs met so that breaking the law is no longer seen as an appropriate way to go about meeting those needs.

Individualized interventions and desired outcomes are strengths-based and involve things like:

• Problem solving skills
• Developing strong relationships
• Community participation

The program also incorporates a restitution model, which gives youth the opportunity to improve empathy and victim awareness skills.

Services

Each youth is assessed individually and services may vary widely between youth. One of the goals of the program is to ensure services are a “good fit” with each youth and their specific cultural background. The activities youth will take part in aim to strengthen the skills of the youth and their ties to their community. Some examples of services provided by community-based partners include:

• Behavioral health services

• Family therapy

• Individual counseling,

• Skills building classes

• School-based programs

• Substance use counseling

• Mentoring

• Tutoring

• Community-service

target population

    Youthful offenders between the ages of 10-17 and their families.

Eligibility Criteria

Youth referred by the Kaua’i County Prosecutor’s Office for either:

• Committing a second misdemeanor, petty misdemeanor, or status offense

• Failing to comply with initial court-diversion services for a first-offense (i.e. Teen Court).

Youth & Family responsibilties

Parents and/or guardians and their children will be highly involved through out the YLSI process.

Parents and/or guardians and their children will participate in:

• An initial assessment interview

• A goal setting meeting

• On-going monitoring of effectiveness of services and youth participation

• A reassessment interview

• Access to reliable transportation and a way to communicate with the YLSI Coordinator.

If these are issues that need to be addressed, it is the responsibility of the parent and/or guardian to bring this up with the YLSI Coordinator.

For additional information, please contact Rana Jackson, 808-245-2873 x242.