NCJ Number
220131
Date Published
March 2007
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the success and effectiveness of A New Day program, providing therapy to Durham, North Carolina’s at-risk youth when suspended or expelled from school, and the Bethesda therapeutic model component of the program, which is dedicated to counseling at-risk youth identified as “at-risk” due to criminal and other negative behaviors.
Abstract
A New Day, along with the Bethesda therapeutic model component, has a positive impact on the majority of youth who go through the program. The general consensus among participants is that the staff of A New Day care about the youth that they serve. The positive alternative that Durham youth have is that they can discuss and work on problems that they have both at home and in school. If suspended from school, individuals are provided with the opportunity to learn in an alternative environment. One of the largest impacts the program has made on the community is that A New Day provides Durham’s at-risk youth with a place to go when unsupervised, as well as adult interaction. As program statistics indicate, the program has demonstrated considerable success over the last few years. From July 2004 to June 2006, there were 119 new admissions to A New Day; of these 119 students, 53 graduated from the program yielding a 44.5 percent completion rate. In North Carolina, 1 out of every 10 students is suspended from school. Suspensions and expulsions have been identified as a significant risk factor for dropping out of school. A New Day is a North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission sponsored program for at-risk youth between the ages of 12 and 16. It serves mainly Level 2 at-risk youth (i.e., those who have been adjudicated delinquent). This paper outlines the problem of suspensions and expulsions of students in North Carolina and the positive impact of the program A New Day and its therapeutic model component, Bethesda, a cost-effective solution in reducing troubling behaviors like violence and drug abuse and increasing school attendance, and greater academic performance. Tables, references