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Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice
Youth Treatment and Education Court (YTEC)
Youth Treatment and Education Court (YTEC) is an exemplary community-based juvenile drug court collaborative founded in 1997. It operates under the administration of the California Superior Court in San Francisco. Collaborative partners include the Office of the Public Defender, the Office of the District Attorney, the Juvenile Probation Department, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, the San Francisco Unified School District, the Youth Guidance Center Improvement Committee, the Department of Public Health’s Special Programs for Youth, and a broad range of non-profit community-based organizations. YTEC receives funding from the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, as well as, other private and public entities.
YTEC’s model – unique among youth drug courts nationwide - integrates treatment with education to support court and drug involved youth in addressing their academic, emotional, substance abuse and delinquency issues in the least restrictive environment. The program fully integrates the youths’ education and drug treatment within a comprehensive family-focused wraparound program. Youth receive their schooling, drug treatment, case management, therapy, family support and numerous other services from an on-site internally integrated staff. Most other youth drug court models use different schools and treatment providers to offer comprehensive drug court services.
YTEC participants are San Francisco residents between 14 and 18 years old, who have committed a criminal offense under the California Welfare and Institutions Code 602, and have an alcohol or drug abuse history. Juveniles, who enter YTEC through a pre-adjudication or deferred prosecution status, will have their petition dismissed upon successful completion of the program. If youth do not complete the program, the original petition is reactivated and prosecution of the original charge proceeds. For those juveniles who enter YTEC through post-adjudication status, successful program completion results in the avoidance of a consequence, such as out-of-home placement or detention. To graduate from treatment a participant must, at minimum, achieve six months clean and sober (24 earned weeks).
YTEC’s programs include:
DIVERSION: A seven-week substance-use education and prevention course that targets youth in the early stages of their use. The goal is to prevent any escalation in their substance use, and in the high-risk behaviors that often accompany use.
INTENSIVE DAY TREATMENT SERVICES: These include case management, individual therapy, process groups, drug and health education classes, access to an on-site adolescent health clinic, vocational and pre-employment skills classes, and leadership development and after-care services.
THE YTEC ACADEMY: An on-site alternative high school developed through an innovative public/private partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District, the Academy offers a model educational program to a maximum of 50 students per year. The Academy’s curriculum is project based so that young people see tangible evidence of their learning. A high staff to student ratio allows academic instruction and treatment to be tailored to meet the individual interests, and performance level of each student.
WORK EXPERIENCE AND ON-THE-JOB SUPPORT: After completing twelve-week pre-employment skills training course participants are placed in positions allowing them to gain valuable work experience. These include service learning, job shadowing (in areas that spark the youths’ interest), structured internships, or part-time weekend and after-school jobs depending on participants’ individual situation and readiness.
LEADERSHIP FELLOWS PROGRAM – PEER SUPPORT: Youth who complete the 12-week pre-employment skills curriculum and who graduate from court-ordered treatment are eligible to enroll in the Leadership Fellows Program founded by YTEC earlier this year. This program was launched in response to the need—articulated by YTEC graduates themselves—for structured aftercare to enable the graduates to maintain the gains achieved during the program and prevent relapse and it is being directed and delivered by the youth themselves. YTEC graduates selected as Leadership Fellows receive a stipend for their service as role models, group leaders, tutors, and mentors to others in the program. The program incorporates expressive arts, recreational activities, vocational programming and educational curricula that include preparation for higher education and continuous support while enrolled in college or a trades program.
FAMILY SERVICES: Families are encouraged to work as partners and are central in facilitating positive outcomes for participants. A liaison works with each family to ensure they have the resources needed to support their child’s participation in all aspects of the program. Parents are asked to attend monthly family nights, and YTEC offers family therapy, parenting classes, and mediation as needed, to increase family functioning.
For further information on the YTEC program, call (415) 753.4459.
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