Faith Community Network/Chaplaincy Services Program Overview

The vision of the Faith Community Network and Volunteer Chaplaincy Services program is to provide a full range of programs and services that will turn around the lives of troubled youth and ensure that voluntary chaplaincy services are available to youth and their families during times of family crisis.

Andy Hindman, Director of Faith and Community-Based Partnerships
Office of Prevention and Victim Services
Office: (850) 410-2577
(866) 888-4355
Fax: (850) 922-6189
andy.hindman@djj.state.fl.us

Highlights

• Currently, more than 1,800 faith communities and faith-based organizations serve as Faith Partners providing services such mentoring, tutoring, after school programs, pastoral care and counseling.

• A Chaplaincy Guidebook has been created that provides a framework for the delivery of quality Chaplaincy Services to the youth in our care.

• A (6) hour Volunteer Chaplaincy Basic Training has been developed that ensures all of our Chaplains are prepared to successfully serve the youth and families within the juvenile justice system. To date, (474) volunteer Chaplains and faith volunteers have completed the Chaplains Basic Training.

• A Chaplains Orientation has been developed that will be posted online and that will provide new volunteer Chaplains immediate access to training when the Chaplains Basic Training Course is not readily available.

• A Faith Community Network/Chaplaincy Leadership Team has been developed in each of the 20 Judicial Circuits to provide oversight and support to Faith Network Partners and volunteer Chaplains in their designated circuit area. Currently, a Chaplain has been designated in each detention center and state operated residential program. Chaplains are in the process of being recruited in the remaining residential programs.

• Partnerships with statewide faith and community-based organizations are critical to ensuring that programs and services for youth are available in their local communities and neighborhoods. To date partnerships with statewide organizations include the 11th District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Florida Catholic Conference, Sports World Ministries, Trinity Broadcast Network, Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Upward Bound Outreach Ministries, All Pro Dads, One Hope Ministries and Sports Power International.

• Trinity Broadcast Network is providing faith and character-based programming in each of the department's Regional Juvenile Detention Centers and Residential programs through TBN's JCTV Youth Programming Network.

• More than 595 faith partners, community volunteers and DJJ Staff participated in “Our Children, Our Future’ Regional Faith Community Network Faith Forums have been held in St. Petersburg, Miami, Gainesville, Jacksonville and West Palm Beach.

• A statewide partnership has been developed with the “Sons of Allen” Men’s Ministry, the premiere mentoring program of the 11th Episcopal District of the AME Church, to establish a model aftercare program that will include mentoring youth in juvenile justice facilities and continue as a seamless transition through aftercare.

• An aftercare project focused on education, vocational training and job placement has begun in Brevard County. Through this partnership a Re-Entry Board has been developed that includes the department, Workforce of Brevard County, Brevard County Schools and the Faith Community Network/Chaplaincy Services program.

• The Department of Juvenile Justice has developed a partnership with the Department of Children and Families to extend the circle of care to at-risk youth through the Faith Community Network. This partnership extends faith-based services to other areas such as homelessness, foster care, adoption and domestic violence and closes the gaps in service for many at-risk youth and their families.

• More than 250 faith volunteers, juvenile justice staff and faith partners participated in the “Our Children, Our Future” Faith and Community Symposium held November 8-9, 2011 in Altamonte Springs, Florida. (35) workshops were held that focused on raising awareness of issues impacting at-risk youth and their families, educating faith communities on the juvenile justice system, connecting resources of community and faith based organizations, as well as providing training to improve and enhance faith and community based programs and services to at-risk youth. This second annual symposium was a collaborative effort of the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Children and Families.

• Completing the development of the Faith Community Network/Chaplaincy Services website that will provide online and ready access information for services to youth, allow networking of faith partners, and provide training and support information for Chaplains.

How to Become Involved!

1. Contact the Office of Prevention and Victim Services to learn how your faith community or faith based organization can become involved in the Faith Community Network and Chaplaincy Services Program.

2. Develop a program that focuses on the identified juvenile justice needs in your community.

3. Encourage faith community leaders in your community to become involved in the Chaplaincy Services Program.

4. Recruit other members of your faith to become involved with the young people of your community.

5. Encourage other partners to become involved with juvenile delinquency prevention, substance abuse, crisis intervention counseling, and other juvenile justice programs.