Rockdale County is excited to announce that 2016 is starting wonderfully for Rockdale Juvenile Court, which is the recipient of six federal, state and local grants designed to enhance program and service offerings for youth and their families.

The U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has awarded to Rockdale Juvenile Court a $400,000 grant to enhance services to youth in the Drug Court program and their families.

Grant funds will be utilized over a two-year period to provide group substance abuse treatment, individual and family counseling, parenting classes, drug testing, surveillance, pro-social activities, educational assistance and transportation. Since its inception in 2012, the 12-month Drug Court program has served 36 youth ages 14-17 who the Drug Court team recommends for substance abuse treatment.

Additionally, the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council has awarded to Juvenile Court three grants, including $69,000 to assist with the Drug Court program, and $95,905 to continue for a second year the Strengthening Families program, which provides family skills training, increases residence and reduces risk factors for low-risk youth. Through the Strengthening Families program, Juvenile Court will serve 30 youth and their families in 2016.

Juvenile Court also received from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council $267,246 in grant funds to serve medium-to high-risk youth and their families with Functional Family Therapy. In its third year in Rockdale, the program offers to youth and families in-home therapy for youth who are at risk of being committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice. The Functional Family Therapy program reduced youth commitments to Juvenile Justice by 84 percent in 2014 and 54 percent in 2015. This year, Juvenile Court will serve 48 youth and their families as part of the Functional Family Therapy program.

Locally, the Hospital Authority of Rockdale County awarded to Juvenile Court a $15,000 grant to assist with program needs this year.

Lastly, Juvenile Court received a grant of just more than $80,000 from the U.S. Department of Human Services to continue the Rockdale Encouraging Student Health, Abstinence and Parent Engagement (RESHAPE) program. RESHAPE focuses on abstinence, decision making and life skills. The program is in its fifth year in Rockdale and serves 80 children annually.

In addition to its grant-funded programs, Juvenile Court provides numerous other programs to court-involved youth.

For more information about Juvenile Court and its programs, please contact Teresa Gordy at 770-278-7763 or [email protected]