Welcome to Skagit County
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COUNTY RECEIVES GRANT TO REDUCE DELINQUENCY The Skagit County Youth and Family Services Department was recently notified they will be the recipient of a one-year grant from the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (GJJAC) for the amount of $79,000. The funded program, Screening and Treatment for Detained Youth, will provide mental health and chemical dependency evaluations and services for youth detained in Skagit County’s detention facility. Research shows that the screening and treatment of detained youth with mental health and chemical dependency problems is an essential component of addressing delinquency. Identification and treatment of detainees experiencing psychiatric symptoms and addiction reduces their likelihood to re-offend after their release to the community. “Based on the conclusions of these evaluations, a part time Screening and Treatment Coordinator will connect these youth with counseling services that will continue following their release from detention,” said Bob Hicks, Resource Manager for Skagit County Youth and Family Services. Goals of the program include increasing offender access to and engagement with mental health and substance abuse services, resolving crucial issues, diminishing detainees’ vulnerability to delinquency and reducing local juvenile crime, said Hicks. The program will begin on March 1, 2003 and requires no local match.
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