Juvenile Day Reporting Center: A New Day

Program Manager:  Amy Elliott, Ph.D., aelliott@co.durham.nc.us

Durham County Criminal Justice Resource Center

326 E. Main Street, Durham, NC 27701

Tel. (919) 560-0500 Fax: (919)560-0566

A New Day operates year round, including six days a week from October to April.

1.       Academic: Mon, Tues, Thurs., Fri. 9:00 - 3:20; Wednesday 9:00 - 2:20

2.       After School: Tuesday & Thursday 4:00 - 5:45

3.       Saturday: 9:00 - 3:00

4.       Summer Session: 9:00 - 3:00

The mission of A New Day is to improve school achievement and reduce criminal activity of long-term suspended, court involved, and at-risk middle school students by offering structured programming that modifies behavior, emotional, and cognitive patterns.

A New Day, Juvenile Day Reporting Center is a program of Durham County’s Criminal Justice Resource Center (CJRC).  A New Day is a partnership between Durham County, Durham’s Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and Durham Public Schools.  The vision to develop a Juvenile Day Reporting Center in Durham came about through a series of planning meetings with key leaders in Durham who were concerned about the rising suspension and delinquency rates.  A grant for the Juvenile Day Reporting Center was awarded by the NC Governor’s Crime Commission.  In 2000, under the Directorship of Gudrun Parmer (CJRC) and Amy Elliott, Ph.D. Program Manager,  operations began at Lakeview School with Principal Elton O’Neal.  In 2005, A New Day moved to its present location in the Criminal Justice Resource Center in downtown Durham, one block from the Juvenile Justice Annex.   A New Day remains a component of the Lakeview Continuum.  In March of 2006, A New Day earned its certification from the Bethesda Family Services Foundation in their two research-based, best practices models, Relational Healing and Peer Governance.

Please take time to watch “Choices and Change”, a video documentary about A New Day, with images by our students http://www.choicesandchange.com/

Target Population & Description of Program Components

Academic Program: Middle school students.  Our priority is to provide services to court-involved (Level II) middle school students.  Parents attend regular appointments with their child and mandatory Parent Evenings.  The young people we work with share many of the following issues:

School Failure:  A pattern of truancy, and/or suspension, or poor  grades.

Disruptive behaviors:  Conflicts with peers and adults at school, in the home, and in the community.   Underlying feelings of anger, anxiety, betrayal, fear, and bad memories.

Detachment from parents:  Attachment to gangs and negative peers. Defiant towards other adults. Young people often feel betrayed by parents for past hurts or pain.  Lacking intimate, trusting relationship with one or both parents.

Delinquency or Undisciplined Behaviors: Young people are court-involved due to violating laws and are on probation or because they do not follow the rules and expectations of their parent and/or school.

Referral Process for Academic Program: Most referrals come from Court Counselors. However, referrals are also made by Lakeview School, Durham Public School Social Workers, Guidance Counselors, and Exceptional Children’s Administrators. All referrals are made to the Program Manager. The preliminary referral screening is made over the phone.  If the referral seems appropriate, then the parent/guardian and child are asked to come to A New Day for an interview and to receive more information on our services.  Often members of the Child and Family Team (CFT) will also attend this meeting. If the referral is appropriate, the student is accepted and an A New Day Counselor/ Case Manager is assigned . The Case Manager does a parent-child assessment and gathers documents from DJJ&DP, the school, and mental health.  The parents willingness and ability to participate is  an important element in the child’s treatment.

A parent or legal guardian must attend the intake meeting, the Treatment Team meetings, student-teacher conferences, and Parenting Evenings.  All students attending A New Day’s academic program must call mental health for a screening and attend mental health meetings if needed.

Components

Academic  Instruction by a Certified Durham Public School teacher that follows the NC Standard Course of Study. Students can receive individual tutoring. Students take the End of Grade Exam (E.O.G.)

Behavior Interventions: Long term students are on a level system linked to Codes of Honor. Students hold each other accountable for following the codes through a process called “Peer Governance.”

Counseling through Relational Healing: This is a four phase counseling cycle

Parent Evenings:  Parents learn and teach each other about the phases of the counseling cycle.

Substance Abuse  Assessment and Education  All students are assessed for substance abuse and referred to the Durham Center if services are needed. Weekly groups provided for long term students.

Public Health Class: Prevention of sexually transmitted diseases

After School: Middle and High School age students, with priority given to successful graduates of the “A New Day” academic program

Saturday: Middle and High School age students, with priority given to youth who are successful graduates of the  A New Day academic program or those required to perform community service hours. Open to non-court involved youth. Focus is on Civil Rights, Civic Engagement, Youth Leadership.

Referral Process for After-School and Saturday Program: Referrals to the After-School and the Saturday Program can be made directly to any Case Manager or the Program Manager.