The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice embarked on a mission to revise the Protective Action Response (PAR) training curriculum. The scope of the revision project is to transition the existing PAR intervention model to the Youth Engagement Model (YEM). The Office of Staff Development and Training (SD&T) in collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders have been charged with the revision project. YEM will focus on trauma responsiveness, verbal and non-physical safety intervention techniques to prevent crisis episodes, while using physical intervention as a last resort. The YEM curriculum will offer tools and training in verbal techniques, scenario-based learning for both verbal and physical engagement with youth, and training in physical intervention techniques.

The YEM Unit consist of the Training and Research Manager and four Training Specialist II positions. The manager will have overall responsibility of YEM facilitation and supervision of the training specialists. The training specialist will be generally responsible for conducting YEM training sessions, providing on-site support and technical assistance to regional program areas, completing YEM Fidelity reviews, and reviewing and reporting trends analysis. The Training Specialist II positions will be located statewide in Leon, Alachua, Hillsborough or Orange, and Palm Beach Counties.

The YEM project is progressing to the pilot phase with proposed sites identified by Residential, Detention and Probation Services. The pilot is tentatively scheduled to start in July 2019 and run through the summer with program areas piloting separately. The pilot will provide valuable data in preparation for the statewide rollout of the YEM project. Stay tuned for continued exciting developments of the YEM project!