About the Program Model
Southwest Key's Alternative to Detention Model is designed to prevent acts of delinquency and self-destructive behavior and to mainstream youth into society's traditional institutions, while the young people continue to live at home.
A primary component of this program model is to ensure youth show-up to court when scheduled and they do not re-offend while waiting to go to court. Through intensive, focused, structured advocacy, caseworkers strive to provide services in all areas of a youth's life. A minimum of two face-to-face contacts per day of which out is a curfew track, seven days per week, is required. Staff implements a team approach to ensure effective service to the clients, which provides structured support and supervision, counseling, advocacy and crisis intervention at all times.
When a youth is involved with Southwest Key, every area of his or her life is impacted. From school to work to play to home, the program staff teaches youth to live as law-abiding citizens in their communities.
This program model is specifically designed to address the community's need for safety, to hold the young person accountable for his/her actions, and to increase the youth's competencies to effect long-term and sustainable change. We believe high-risk youth can be safely and effectively supervised in the community as they develop the personal tools needed to develop into healthy, successful adults.
The model is designed to provide intensive youth services to facilitate a youth's transition from an out-of-home placement back to the community and/or family environment. Services are designed to assist field and facility staff in continually assessing the most appropriate placement for youth committed to the custody of or under the supervision of TYC.
Program Types
Outreach & Tracking, Intensive Supervision, Intensive Support & Supervision, Youth Tracking Services, Electronic Monitoring, Day Treatment
Current Program Locations
Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Brownsville, and Houston, Texas; Erie County (Buffalo), New York; Orange County (Goshen and Newburgh), New York; 20+ counties in Georgia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Population Served
Southwest Key's ATD programs serve male and female court-involved youth who generally have a wide range of emotional disturbances and behaviors including delinquent activities, truancy, aggression, resistance towards authority, self-destructive or self-defeating tendencies and behaviors.
The program was designed on the premise that an effective community-based supervision program must provide structured risk control activities designed to protect the community, as well as rehabilitative activities that promote pro-social contacts and positive structured time for each youth participant. Foundational to the program is the tracking component, which provides a proven method of surveillance in the community. Clients must report their whereabouts in the community at all times. It is the client's responsibility to be in a location in which he/she can be found by the tracker on duty. A minimum of two face-to-face visits per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year with the caseworker is required of each. A level system, based on three levels of supervision, is used: Advance Permission Status, Apprentice Status and Master Status, each designed to provide a continuum of supervision through which youth move as they achieve desired competencies and exhibit appropriate behaviors. Other program components may include: Employment Assistance Educational Support & Advocacy Family Development & Support Crisis Intervention Community Service< Pre-Vocational Services Recreational Programming Transportation< Restitution Assistance Group Counseling For more information about this program model, contact: Veronica Delgado-Savage
Chief Program Officer, Community-Based Programs
Southwest Key Programs
vdelgadosavage@swkey.org
512.462.2181Resources
