Services

National Programs

At-Risk Youth

America’s young people are dying. They are dying quickly from guns and gangs and slowly from
poverty and isolation. There are no services for young people who don’t show up for programs,
schools or jobs. These are the young people and young parents in gangs, in and out of state
systems, using drugs and alcohol, poor, hungry, often homeless and/or suffering from the trauma
of war. Reports show that nationally 10–15% of all young people ages 14-24 are disconnected from
work and/or education.

According to statistics:

One in four children under six lives below the poverty line.
Each year spent in poverty reduces by two percentage points a child’s chance of graduating
from high school.
Students from low income, low skill, and low education families are twice as likely to drop
out as students from affluent families
77% of eighth graders report having used alcohol. 13.5% have had more than 5 drinks in the
last two weeks. 2/3 of all high school seniors have used illegal drugs
30% of young adolescents have had sex by age 15
Only 60% use any contraception at first intercourse
Teenage girls typically don’t use contraception until 6-9 months after they have become
sexually active. Of those, ½ are already pregnant
Teenagers who become pregnant
Have fewer social resources
Lower educational attainment
Reduced potential earnings.

One World Foundation can see a world where young people are no longer lost to violence and
poverty. This is a future where young people have real opportunities, to leave the streets, get
jobs and take responsibility for their lives. We know that, given the right tools, these young
people can not only survive, but can thrive. One World Foundation will demonstrate that very
high-risk young people in the metropolitan Washington, DC region, who are often left out of
programming, can be reengaged in a systematic way and can make positive impacts on both their
own lives and their communities.

For clarity of understanding, we defined at-risk youth as: “Include elementary
and secondary school students who, on the one hand, run the risk of not acquiring the knowledge,
skills, and attitudes needed to become successful adults and, on the other hand, behave in ways
that put them at-risk for not graduating from high school” (Herr, 1989, p. 201)

Intervention: According to the Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 1993,
intervention is the traditional and familiar word for school-based efforts to improve clients’
lives and change problems (cited in Murphy & Duncan, 1997).

LEVEL 1: PREVENTION

An early warning system, aimed at identifying children and families who may be particularly
vulnerable. Every effort is made to prevent emotional and/or behavioral difficulties from
occurring or worsening.

LEVEL 2: EARLY INTERVENTION

emotional support and guidance are provided for learners who are struggling with emotional and/or
behavioral barriers to learning in the classroom.

LEVEL 3: SUPPORT PROGRAMS

support programs, youth development programs and deliberate intervention are provided for
learners who are identified as being at risk of being expelled from school, being placed away
from home, or entering the criminal justice system, and for whom temporary withdrawal from the
classroom is necessary. The framework of our programs are based on good practices based on the
standards laid down by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

These standards aim to:

meet the challenges of dealing with learners experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, emotional
and/or behavioral barriers to their development.

Improve services to learners at risk.
Ensure the safety, education and development of these learners.

LEVEL 4: SUMMER ENRICHMENT CENTERS

Special care is provided to young people who are in conflict with the law or in severe emotional
turmoil and who may need academic and behavioral support. Young people are referred to the
foundation by the courts, schools, churches and social service agencies and are placed in a six
week enrichment program.

Each young person is provided with an individual development plan to help him or her to be
rehabilitated. A psychologist, occupational therapist, professional nurse and social worker are
available for consultation. The educators are specially trained in child care theory and
practice.

References

Herr, E. (1989). Counseling in a dynamic society: Opportunities and challenges.
Alexandria, VA: American Association for Counseling and Development.

Murphy, J., & Duncan, B. (1997). Brief intervention for school problems.
New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Ex-Offender Re-entry Program

Nearly 650,000 people are released from state and federal prison yearly and arrive on the
doorsteps of communities nationwide. A far greater number reenter communities from local jails,
and for many offenders and /defendants, this may occur multiple times in a year. According to
the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) study of 15 states, more than two-thirds of state
prisoners released from incarceration were re-arrested and more than half returned to prison
within three years of their release.

One World Foundation operates a community based reentry approach that works with local law
enforcement, the judicial system, ex-offenders and ex-offenders’ families to identify and
minimize reentry barriers. Foundation representatives coordinate with jails, correctional
centers and persons incarcerated to assist those leaving prison or jail in developing and
carrying out reentry plans.

This Community based reentry is completely voluntary. Our programs, along with other existing
reentry programs and projects, help to strengthen families and improve public safety.

One World Foundation begins working with inmates prior to their release through a structured,
group-based curriculum that is offered in a designated facility. In addition to providing
valuable information and education, pre-release sessions also allow Foundation staff to build
trust and familiarity with inmates as they attempt to reconnect with the “outside” world.
Inmates begin to think beyond the prison walls, overcome their own emotional barriers and learn
how to build healthy human connections.

Along with the pre-release curriculum, the Foundation also provides a variety of post-release
services to pre-release program graduates after their release. Services address issues such
employment, education, substance abuse, transportation and family re-integration.

One World Foundation offers services to ex-offenders who are committed to change. The office is a
“one stop” reentry resource. Services include:

Employment Services
Case Management
Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Services
Mentoring
Pre-Release Reentry Planning
Access to state benefits
Referrals to a variety of community resources oriented toward ex-offenders.

Pre-Release Unit

One World Foundation provides pre-release services to inmates who have up to 18 months remaining
on their active prison sentence. Participation in pre-release groups is voluntary, organized
within rotating 13-week session blocks throughout the year.

Pre-release group sessions include topics such as:

Cognitive thinking skills
Overcoming barriers to employment
Employment interviewing skills building
Relationships/Family re-integration
Personal Finance
Connecting with mentors
Information on local support agencies.

Post Release

One World Foundation offers a variety of services to inmates who have successfully completed a
pre-release group cycle and request continued assistance after release. Post-release services
provide short-term personal and vocational support for participants as they adapt to life after
prison and work toward self-sufficiency: Specific services include:

Individual case management
Employment training/job search assistance
Career Development classes
Vocational certification training
Relapse prevention counseling
Personal assistance services/vouchers.

Participants typically remain in post-release services for 6 months to a year, though some may
opt to remain engaged in support groups, etc. longer

Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program

One World Foundation’s Homeless, Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program is to provide services
to assist in reintegrating homeless, homeless veterans into meaningful employment within the
labor force and to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will
address the complex problems facing homeless veterans.

The Foundation provides an array of services utilizing a case management approach that directly
assists the homeless and homeless veterans as well as provides critical linkages for a variety
of supportive services available in their local communities. The program is “employment focused”
and receive the employment and training services they need in order to re-enter the labor force.
Job placement, training, job development, career counseling, resume preparation, are among the
services that are provided. Supportive services such as clothing, provision of or referral to
temporary, transitional, and permanent housing, referral to medical and substance abuse
treatment, and transportation assistance are also provided.

The emphasis on helping the homeless and homeless veterans get and retain jobs is enhanced
through many linkages and coordination with various veterans’ services programs and
organizations in each local.

Program Services include:

Immediate needs – food, clothing, transportation, and access to shelter;
Outreach to homeless veterans providers;
Employability needs and skills assessment;
Job readiness services, including transitional housing assistance, basic skills training,
therapeutic work, résumé development and employment opportunity referrals; and
90, 180, and 270-day job retention follow-up.

Eligibility:

To be eligible:

Persons:
- Who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;
- Whose primary nighttime residence is either a supervised public or private shelter
  designed to provide temporary living accommodations, or a temporary residence for
  individuals intended to be institutional; or
- Living in a private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping
  accommodation for human beings.