Local government officials got a firsthand glimpse Monday of the benefits of a new initiative to target juvenile delinquency by dealing with the various risk factors.
Human Services and V.I. Behavioral Services hosted an open house on St. Thomas Monday to discuss the program, which is modeled after the successful Juvenile Support Services (JSS) program on St. Croix, according to a recent news release.
The program, known as JWRAP, recently implemented on St. Thomas and St. John, focuses on non-incarcerated males and females and is meant to be a "crisis therapeutic wrap-around plan" that uses both one-on-one care and family intervention to address the various risk factors leading to juvenile delinquency, the release said.
At the open house, officials stressed the continued importance of using preventive care programs such as JWRAP instead of building another juvenile-detention facility.
"Intervention is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff; prevention is the fence at the top of the cliff," Human Services Chris Finch said in a statement Monday, adding, "The program provides both, but most importantly, it improves our prevention work."
V.I. Behavioral Services will oversee the program, which will be funded through Human Services. JWRAP’s services include behavioral assessment, treatment, vocational and job readiness, life skills training, primary health care prevention and conflict resolution.
