Governor

Rendell Signs

Acts 40 and

81 of 2006

Act 40 of 2006

House Bill 601(3940) was signed into law by Governor Rendell onMay 11, 2006, as Act 40 of 2006 and became effective on July 10,2006.

Act 40 amended 75 Pa.C.S §1547 (relating to chemical testing todetermine amount of alcohol or controlled substance), by adding anew clause (g.1) “Cost of testing” to require that the cost of chemicaltesting, including the drawing of blood and urine, is to be paid by theindividual tested, if the individual was convicted or placed into anypre-adjudication program or adjudicated delinquent for a violation of§3802 (relating to driving under the influence of alcohol or controlledsubstance). If the individual is found not guilty under §3802, or if thecharges are dismissed or withdrawn, the requesting authority isresponsible for the cost of testing.

Act 81 of 2006

House Bill 1746(4389) was signed into law by Governor Rendell onJuly 7, 2006, as Act 81 of 2006 and became effective on July 14,2006. Act 81 of 2006 amended Title 42 to limit the “public availabil-ity” provisions of 42 Pa.C.S. §6308 (relating to law enforcementrecords) to law enforcement records, while adding new provisions to42 Pa.C.S. §6307 (relating to inspection of court files and records) togovern the disclosure, by courts, of the status or outcome of certainjuvenile delinquency cases.

These amendments were intended to address the confusion that hasexisted because provisions of the Juvenile Act which pertain to thedisclosure by courts of juvenile delinquency case status and outcomeinformation were included in 42 Pa.C.S. §6308. Act 81 transfers,from §6308 to §6307, the provisions pertaining to

(See LEGISLATION, page 2)

Register now to receive on-line version of Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice

The Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission will cease printing and mailing hard copies of Pennsylvania JuvenileJustice in October 2006. Please visit the JCJC website, at www.jcjc.state.pa.us, to register to automaticallyreceive the free on-line version of our newsletter. Please contact Greg Young, at gyoung@state.pa.us, or717-477-1797, if you have any questions.

To sign up for the Governor’s newsletter, visit www.governor.state.pa.us.

2

(LEGISLATION, continued from page 1)

the disclosure of juvenile delinquency case infor-mation by courts.

The criteria governing public availability now in§6307 are consistent with the criteria that remainin §6308, which now apply only to the disclosureof delinquency case information by law enforce-ment agencies. Transferred from §6308 to §6307,is the provision that a judge who adjudicates achild delinquent shall specify the particular of-fenses and counts thereof which the child is foundto have committed. However, a reference formerlyin §6308 to a master having the authority toadjudicate a child delinquent was not included in§6307 because only judges have this authority. Areference in §6308 to the filing of a delinquencypetition by a law enforcement agency was deletedbecause the Pennsylvania Rules of Juvenile CourtProcedure require these petitions to be filed by anattorney for the Commonwealth or a juvenileprobation officer.

Copies of this legislation can be found atwww.legis.state.pa.us

JCJC FY 2006-2007 Budget

Governor Rendell signed HB 2499 (4513),the General Appropriations Act of 2006,on July 2, 2006. The Act sets the JCJC

Improvement of Juvenile Probation Services andSpecialized Probation Services (SPS) appropria-tions at $5,918,000 and $13,793,000, respectively.These appropriations support salaries for proba-tion officers, training and graduate educationprograms for juvenile probation officers, statewideimpact projects, and school-based, intensiveprobation, aftercare, and community-based proba-tion services. The appropriations are equivalent tothe funding received by the Commission in FY2005-2006.

Suicide Prevention

Kick-Off Event

Capitol Rotunda

Harrisburg, Pa.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

9AM to 3PM

The Pennsylvania Suicide Prevention Initiativeis pleased to be sponsoring the 2nd AnnualKick-Off Event for Suicide Prevention Week(September 10-16, 2006) in Pennsylvania. ThePennsylvania Suicide Prevention Initiative is apublic/private collaborative of multiple countytask forces, state representatives, and repre-sentatives from local grassroots organizations.The event will be held at the Capitol Rotunda,on September 12th from 9 AM to 3 PM.

Speakers and displays from various organiza-tions and task forces throughout the state,including the Empty Shoe Memorial to honorthe loved ones lost to suicide, will be present.The Empty Shoe Memorial is comprised ofshoes either belonging to a loved one lost bysuicide, or slightly used shoes symbolizing theloved one. People are encouraged not only tobring a pair of shoes in memory of someone,but to include an index card inside the shoeswith the person’s name, age, date of death andmessage, if desired.

Various state officials and legislators have beeninvited to participate between noon and 2 PM.Jerry Reed, Executive Director of SuicidePrevention Action Network (SPAN) USA is alsoslated to speak along with various survivors ofsuicide, survivors of suicide attempts, consum-ers and health officials.

The Pennsylvania Suicide Prevention Initiativehopes the event at the Rotunda will be one ofmany events occurring across the state duringSuicide Prevention Week, which also coincideswith the National Suicide Prevention Week.More people die by suicide than homicide, andsuicide is the third leading cause of death foryoung people between the ages of 15 – 24.Research has shown that more that 90% ofpeople who die by suicide have depression oranother diagnosable mental health or sub-stance abuse disorder. Statistics like theseillustrate the need for statewide awareness and

involvement in suicide prevention.

This publication is produced monthly at the Center for Juvenile

Justice Training and Research at Shippensburg University.

Guest articles are always welcome; please submit them by email or

on a disk. We particularly enjoy your photographs, but we ask that

these be mailed - we will be happy to return them to you.

Greg Young is the editor. Our address is CJJT&R, Shippensburg

University, 1871 Old Main Drive, Shippensburg, PA 17257-2299.

(gyoung@state.pa.us)

Please send additions or changes to the mailing list to Julie Bozich

at Signal Graphics Printing, 1010 Wesley Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA

17055 (julie@sgp.cc)

3

The Center for Juvenile Justice Training andResearch is pleased to offer a special train-ing workshop September 25 - 29, 2006 that

is designed to develop trainers in The Victim/Community Awareness Curriculum: An Orienta-

tion for Juveniles. This program will providetraining for 15 individuals who will subsequentlyteach others how to facilitate impact of crimegroups with young offenders.

Victim/Community Awareness: An Orientation for

Juveniles was published in 1999 under the jointdirection of the Juvenile Justice and DelinquencyPrevention Committee and the Victim ServicesAdvisory Committee of the Pennsylvania Commis-sion on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). PCCDalso funded the project. While Valerie Benderauthored the curriculum, the work was guided andoverseen by a focus group of juvenile probationofficers, victim advocates and treatment providers.

In 2000, completion of the curriculum was in-cluded as one of the balanced and restorativeoutcome measures for the juvenile justice system.To date, 31% of youth under the jurisdiction of thecourt have attended Victim/Community Awarenessclasses.

The primary goals of the curriculum are: toincrease juvenile offenders’ awareness of the harmcaused by crime; to help juvenile offenders ac-knowledge the harm caused by their specificcrime; and to give juvenile offenders an opportu-nity to repair that harm to some degree (i.e. anapology letter).

The target audience for this unique training oppor-tunity includes juvenile probation officers, andrepresentatives from provider organizations andvictim services agencies. Professionals from othersocial service agencies may be accepted on aspace-available basis. Priority will be given to thoseindividuals who have experience in facilitating thecurriculum and those registering as a victimservice/juvenile justice team.

The Train the Trainer Program is designed forindividuals with the following qualifications: mustbe presently facilitating offender groups using TheVictim/Community Awareness Curriculum: An

Orientation for Juveniles; must have at least 3hours of balanced and restorative justice training;must make a commitment to attend the full fivedays of training; must make a commitment tofacilitate two trainings (2 ½ days each) within 12months after this train the trainer course; andmust have the endorsement of a supervisor.

At the end of this Train the Trainer program,participants will be able to: conduct training inThe Victim / Community Awareness Curriculum:

An Orientation for Juveniles; demonstrate anunderstanding of the principles of Balanced andRestorative Justice in Pennsylvania’s juvenilejustice system; possess a basic understanding ofgroup facilitation strategies and adult learning;conduct circles using the guidelines presented inthis training; understand the impact of crime onvictims, offenders, and communities; understandvictim impact panel guidelines; and have a basicunderstanding of values clarification and culturaldiversity.

The training program will be held at the HolidayInn, Mechanicsburg from September 25-29.Classes will run from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Twobonus technical support sessions are scheduledduring the evening throughout the weeklong event,as well as a dinner and reception on Thursday,September 28th. Costs for this training are under-written by PCCD.

Applications are available by contacting SusanBlackburn at 717-477-1411, or atsblackburn@state.pa.us.

Train the Trainer Program Offered September 25-29, 2006

York County Accepting Applicationsfor Position of Chief Juvenile

Probation Officer

The York County Court of Common Pleas isaccepting applications until August 30, 2006, forthe position of Chief Juvenile Probation Officer.The York County Juvenile Probation Departmentincludes specialized units and programs with 45+juvenile probation officers led by one (1) Director/Chief, one (1) Deputy Chief, and five (5) Supervi-sors. The department also includes a complementof support staff who are supervised by a SupportStaff Manager.

The County of York provides a comprehensivebenefits program, with annual salary based uponexperience. Interested candidates should forwarda resume, including salary requirements, to theaddress below:

Bonita L. JuliusDeputy Court Administrator/Human Resources

York County Court of Common Pleas45 N. George Street, York, PA 17401

Phone: 717-771-9632 / FAX: 717-771-9911

54

Communities That Care

Mobilizer Training

On June 19-20, 2006, Communities That Care(CTC) Mobilizers from across the state traveledto Shippensburg to attend two days of intensive

Mobilizer Training. The session was facilitated bycertified CTC Trainers Rosemary Adiletto and KayOwen.

Over 35 individuals, representing 31 CTC sites, at-tended the training which was held at ShippensburgUniversity. A majority of individuals attending thesession had 4 years or less of Mobilizer experience andwere anxious for the opportunity to gain additionalknowledge about their roles and to network with theircolleagues.

The first day of the training was spent digesting theCTC model and the steps in the CTC planning struc-ture. The fact that CTC is a research based, outcomefocused, data driven operating system that allows forthe inclusion of all community members was high-lighted at this training. Mobilizers also received instruc-tion regarding what specific duties are and are notincluded in their roles within their community boards,maintaining the “health” of their boards/coalitions, andtechniques for supportive outreach to team members.

The second day of training was highlighted by a “Clarifi-cation of Roles” presentation from Tara Dechert andMelissa Shetrom of the Pennsylvania Commission onCrime & Delinquency (PCCD), with comments fromeach of the attending CTC Regional Strategic Consult-ants (RSCs). Both presentations were followed by abrief question and answer period which allowed partici-pants the opportunity to ask pointed questions andaddress concerns they are experiencing at specific sites.

Evaluative feedback following the training was positive.Many attendees expressed appreciation for the supportand encouragement of PCCD staff, and the opportunity

(See MOBILIZER, page 6)

Southwest Community Restorative Justice Forum Convened

It was a night unlike any other in the Borough ofBrownsville, Fayette County, as the World ChampionPittsburgh Steelers came to town to play a benefit basket-

ball game against the faculty of the Brownsville Middle andSenior High Schools and several members of the FayetteCounty Juvenile Probation Department.

A sell-out crowd watched as the Brownsville faculty, along with Juvenile Probation Officers Rich Rosner andChris Baker, tried to do something that no team in the NFL playoffs were able to do – beat the PittsburghSteelers. Playing for the Steelers were Brett Keisel, Ricardo Colclough, Lee Mays, James Harrison, Rod Ruther-ford and former Steeler standout Louis Lipps.

Proceeds from the game benefited the Brownsville Area Traveling Students, a group of students who wish tobroaden their education by visiting the National Parks and Monuments in Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakotathis summer. A trip to Paris, Madrid, and London is being planned for the summer of 2007.

Who actually won the game and the final score didn’t matter (the Steelers won in a runaway), as a good time wasenjoyed by the participants and the spectators.

The Southwest Community RestorativeJustice Forum was held on June 8, 2006 atthe Westmoreland County Community College.

Approximately 125 participants attended the forumrepresenting 9 counties (Allegheny, Beaver, Indiana,Somerset, Fayette, Cambria, Lawrence, Washington,and Westmoreland) and eleven county teams(Westmoreland and Somerset had two teams fromtheir counties).

Allegheny County Juvenile Court Administrative JudgeKim Clark and Westmoreland County President JudgeJohn Driscoll presented opening remarks. Partici-pants heard several narratives regarding the experi-ences of a crime victim, a community volunteer and aformer offender. Five workshops were presented ontopics which included Community Conferencing,Restorative Discipline in Schools, Community ServiceLearning, an Introduction to Balanced and RestorativeJustice, and Community Strategies. County teamsthen spent the remainder of the day discussing theformation or enhancement of their local teams, identi-fying local resources and training issues, and begin-ning the development of a local action plan.

The forum, entitled “Building Bridges: CommunityRestorative Justice Forum” is based on the BuildingBridges monograph developed by the Court and

Community Collaboration Committee of the Pennsyl-vania Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers.The forum’s goals included assisting jurisdictions intheir efforts to engage community organizations andcommunity members, to gain an understanding of thebalanced and restorative model and to share variousmeans by which community members and organiza-tions can take active roles in juvenile crime preventionand early intervention activities.

Chief Juvenile Probation Officers were asked todevelop teams of 10 participants from their jurisdic-tions, representing multiple sectors of their communi-ties such as schools, social services, civic organiza-tions, victims services and faith communities. Theagenda was developed to enable participants to learnfrom each other, with a particular emphasis on theengagement of the community in responding to delin-quent behavior.

The next forum is projected for the central region ofthe state in 2007. Chief Juvenile Probation Officersand Communities That Care contact persons in thatregion will be notified as soon as the preliminaryarrangements for the training are confirmed. For moreinformation on the regional forums or communityrestorative justice, you may contact Susan Blackburnat sblackburn@state.pa.us, or at 717-477-1411.

Fayette County Juvenile Probation

Officers vs. the Pittsburgh SteelersBy Michael Lukac, Fayette CountyJuvenile Probation Department

Pathways to Possibilities

On April 17, 2006, a unique training programwas co-sponsored by the Adams CountyJuvenile Probation Department and the Chil-

dren and Youth Services Agency, with leadership pro-vided by President Judge John D. Kuhn. The one-dayseminar entitled “Pathways to Possibilities” focused ona different way of doing business with delinquent anddependent children that is strength-based, solution-focused and collaborative. There were 119 participants,including representatives from 34 different agenciesacross Pennsylvania and from the Baltimore area.

The presentation was led by Mr. Dean Wolf, a familytherapist with nearly 25 years experience with offices inboth Westminster, Maryland and Gettysburg. Mr. Wolfhas been consulting on juvenile probation and childrenand youth cases for a number of years. His positive,integrative approach has continued to gain momentumover the years.

Mr. Wolf spent most of the morning session presentinginformation on the approach that he has used sosuccessfully, and describing how these techniques havedirect application for both juvenile probation andchildren and youth cases. Following a videotaped familyinterview to demonstrate technique, the audience wasable to interact with the family in order to get theirreactions on how this approach differed from the moretypical interview styles. The power in this approach isbest learned when demonstrated, rather than solelydescribed.

One of the most obvious advantages of this strength-based, solution-focused model is the lack of resistancefrom individuals and families. Instead of becomingdefensive or uncooperative, these methods engageclients and their family with a much greater tendencytoward cooperation. The problem isn’t the sole focus ofdiscussion, and attention is shifted to potential solu-tions in a respectful but still very accountable way.Children and families tend to become more motivated,involved and cooperative, and feel as though they arehelping themselves.

Collaboration between the family and various profes-sionals and other helpers was emphasized as an impor-tant part of the process. A central key was to avoidgetting stuck in the family’s “problem saturated story.”Juvenile probation officers and children and youthworkers in Adams County are beginning to utilize thisway of thinking. Judging by the enthusiastic response ofthe audience that included juvenile probation officers,JCJC staff, professors from the Shippensburg andWeidner Universities, children and youth caseworkers,school teachers, law enforcement personnel, and a widevariety of representatives from treatment programs,

this approach made sense.

6

Bringing the community together and spon-soring activities that promote healthy youthdevelopment has proved a winning combi-

nation for Carmichaels Communities That Care(CTC), Greene County. This summer, the organiza-tion reached out to hundreds of children andfamilies through their 5th Annual Community Dayand 3rd Annual MAGIC Goals Soccer Camp.

Carmichaels CTC 5th Annual Community Day washeld on June 3rd at the Steve McCann Pavilion atWana B Park in Carmichaels. Over 400 countyresidents attended the free event and participatedin the fun throughout the day. Activities includedswimming, face and hair painting, a petting zoo,kids games, picnic food, children’s songs, karaoke,and learning about the different agencies in thecommunity and the county. The support of theGreene County Commissioners, the Greene CountyHuman Services Department, numerous areaagencies, businesses and individuals truly madethis event a day to remember.

All those who registered were eligible for chancesto win raffle prizes throughout the day that weredonated by Carmichaels’ businesses and agencies.To receive a chance for the prizes, questionnaireshad to be completed concerning CTC risk factorsand issues affecting the youth in the community.The children who attended Community Day hadthe opportunity to win one of four bicycles withhelmets donated by the Safe Kids Coalition. Thebicycles, which were the grand prize giveaways,were purchased through the donations of localbusinesses and organizations.

Booths were set-up on the premises that featuredactivities and information on CTC programs andother area agencies and organizations such as theGreene County Tobacco Coalition, Greene ValleyPresbyterian Youth Ministry, Neighborhood Drug

Carmichaels Hosts Communities That Care Annual Events

Awareness Corps, Inc., The Courts Teen Center,and many others. The main focus of CommunityDay was to raise awareness about events andactivities held throughout the summer for childrenand families. The picnic promoted a great sense ofcommunity awareness and community pride.

Carmichaels CTC also held the 3rd Annual MAGICGoals Soccer Camp on June 13, 16, 20 and 23.This free camp was for children ages 6-16, andtook place at the Carmichaels Area High Schoolsoccer field. An average of 75 participants attendedthe soccer camp each day.

The goal of the camp was to not only teach andenhance soccer skills, but to encourage teambuilding and leadership skills, as well as promoteself-esteem among youth. The camp provides apositive alternative activity during the summermonths.

Each day of the camp featured a guest speaker toeducate youth about healthy behavior choices,such as nutrition and tobacco prevention, includ-ing members of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, aprofessional soccer team who taught soccer skillsand the benefits of living a positive and healthylifestyle. The MAGIC Goals soccer camp is acollaborative effort with support from communityagencies and volunteers including Greene CountyMAGIC Collaborative, Greene County TobaccoControl Program, Neighborhood Drug AwarenessCorps, Inc., Greene County Children and YouthServices, Greene County Drug and Alcohol Pro-gram and Community Action Southwest WICProgram.

Carmichaels CTC is part of the Greene CountyHuman Services Department and is sponsored bythe Greene County Board of Commissioners. Formore information, contact Jodie Giocondi,Community Mobilizer, at 724-852-5276.

(MOBILIZER, continued from page 5)

for sites to network and exchange useful informa-tion.

CTC and PCCD are working cooperatively todevelop a comprehensive training plan forPennsylvania’s CTC sites. It is hoped that thistraining will be presented during the fall of 2006.Information regarding this training will be found infuture editions of the JCJC Newsletter.

If you have any questions or comments related toCommunities that Care please do not hesitate tocontact Lenore Wyant, CTC Program Director, at717-477-1187 or via e-mail at ldwyant@ship.edu.

7

School-based Probation

Forum Held in State College

Forty-seven school-based probation officersand supervisors attended the sixth annualJuvenile Court Judges Commission spon-

sored School-based Probation Forum, held June29-30, 2006 in State College. Twenty-two countieswere represented.

Day one began with a presentation on the Educa-tional Aftercare Reintegration Toolkit, by ShariMamas of the Educational Law Center and RickSteele, Aftercare Specialist with the Juvenile CourtJudges Commission. Paul Werrell, Chief JuvenileProbation Officer in Lehigh County, gave an histori-cal perspective of school-based probation servicesin Pennsylvania, and participants were providedwith a demonstration of the Juvenile Case Manage-ment System (JCMS) by Sharon Chamberlin fromthe Center for Juvenile Justice Training andResearch. The day concluded with a small groupexercise to discuss the greatest challenges andrewards of school-based probation officers, and anopportunity for school-based probation officers tothink like a chief juvenile probation officer anddiscuss how they would oversee their juvenileprobation departments.

On day two, Lieutenant Dennis McCauley, from theAbington Police Department in MontgomeryCounty, presented information on the growingtrend of cyber-bullying, and participants wereexposed to popular websites utilized for thispurpose.

Feedback on the forum was very positive. Theopportunity to interact with colleagues from acrossthe state was seen as a major benefit.

The 2006 Conference on Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) was held June 5-8 at the MarriottPlaza in San Antonio, Texas. This international conference, hosted annually by American Humanesince 1997, brings people together from around the world to explore and share ideas regarding the

implementation and effective use of FGDM. The theme for this year’s conference was “We Belong to EachOther.” The 3½ days included three keynote speakers, seven intensive pre-conference seminars and skillsinstitutes, and sixty workshops and discussion groups.

Representatives from Pennsylvania had a major impact on the conference, with 97 of the 450-plus attend-ees coming from Pennsylvania. Additionally, Pennsylvanians were responsible for presenting twelve of theworkshops that were offered. A diverse contingent of professionals and community members from 35different agencies represented Pennsylvania, including participants from children and youth, humanservices, private providers, local agencies, universities, judges, law enforcement, and both adult andjuvenile probation. The Pennsylvania-developed workshops covered a wide range of topics including

(See FDGM, back page)

Shippensburg University

Weekend Master’s Degree

Program Accepting

Applications for the Class

of 2009

Applications are now being accepted for theJuvenile Court Judges’ Commission-spon-sored Weekend Master’s Degree Program at

Shippensburg University. Members of the class of2009 will begin classes in the fall of 2007. Thedeadline to apply is September 1, 2006.

The Shippensburg University program offersstudents a Master of Science degree in the Admin-istration of Justice. This is a 36-credit hourprogram that includes courses in research meth-ods, theory, administration, and policy analysis.Also featured is a summer internship in whichstudents have the opportunity to develop, imple-ment, and evaluate a program in their homecounty, or evaluate an existing program that servesjuvenile offenders.

Classes in this two-year program are scheduledevery third weekend in the fall, spring, and sum-mer, with no classes scheduled during the monthsof July and August. This program is available tocounty juvenile probation officers who will have atleast two years of post-baccalaureate experience inthe juvenile justice field prior to the start ofclasses. Applicants who have an undergraduategrade point average of less than 2.75 must takeand pass the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or theGraduate Record Examination (GRE).

Pennsylvania Represented at National Family Group

Decision Making Conference

Staff Development News

The CJJT&R Fall 2006 Training Schedulehas been released and registration for theseprograms is now open. The schedule was e-

mailed to our regularly participating agencies andindividuals on July 3rd, and the printed versionwas mailed in late-July. If you would like to receivean electronic copy of future training schedules,please contact Nina Weaver at nsweav@ship.edu orat 717-477-1448. You may also contact Ms. Weaverto make, change, or cancel registrations. If ane-mail address is supplied, confirmations will beprovided via e-mail. The schedule may also beviewed and printed off of the Juvenile CourtJudges’ Commission website, atwww.jcjc.state.pa.us.

The season’s schedule consists of 24 programs,nine of which involve new trainers and/or topics.The schedule includes a few programs that wereheld recently but were asked to be repeated, twoprograms being presented by a collaborative ofprofessionals from throughout the Commonwealth,two management/supervisory programs, an After-care Forum, and on-line courses. Some highlightsof the training schedule in September are:

• September 7-8 in Mechanicsburg, Sgt. EdBachert of the Allentown Police Departmentwill present Violence in the Media. Thisworkshop will explore the prevalence of vio-lence in various mediums, its effects on youth,and what can be done about it.

• September 13-14 in State College, CJJT&Rstaff will again present Getting New JuvenileProbation Officers Up to Speed. This is amanagement/supervisory workshop that willcover several areas related to maximizing staffdevelopment, including introduction of therecently redesigned New Employee Manual,review of recommended core curriculumworkshops, and transfer of learning concepts.

• September 14-15 in State College, CynthiaKing will present Sexualized Behaviors ofChildren and the Effects of Victimization on

Sexually Abused Children. This workshop willexamine what are normal and what are prob-lematic sexual behaviors in children, and howprofessionals can assist in helping victimizedchildren to manage their lives.

• September 14-15 in State College, Jasiri Smithwill present The Tremendous Influence of Hip-Hop. This workshop will explore the genre’simpact on youth from all backgrounds. It willfurther assist professionals in using Hip-Hopto increase youth engagement bydeconstructing the negative images and utiliz-ing the positive aspects to create empowerment

and enlightenment.• September 21-22 in Allentown, Barbara Ulmer

will present Single Parents. This workshopwill examine common problems that singleparents face. It will also encourage and showworkers how to make interventions moresensitive, relevant, and effective to the needs ofsingle parents.

• There is a half-price discount available for on-line course group registrations made by Sep-tember 1st. A group of 30 or more courses thatare registered prior to 9/1/06 and completedprior to 9/30/06 will pay only half-price ($50).Please contact Stephen Bishop, no later than8/21/06, to register for these on-line courses.

For further details or questions on these or otherCenter-sponsored training programs, pleasecontact John Herb at 717-477-1185, ext. 3, orStephen Bishop at 717-477-1294.

(FGDM, continued from page 7.)

maintaining the integrity of the model as a volun-tary, family-centered practice, safety issues inFGDM, and utilizing FGDM with a prison popula-tion.

Family Group Decision Making is a continuallyemerging practice across the nation and in Penn-sylvania, as evidenced by the tremendous partici-pation in San Antonio. Pennsylvania has posi-tioned itself as a leader in both the implementationand creative utilization of FGDM. Currently, 26counties across the Commonwealth are imple-menting and actively involved with FGDM. Muchof the collaboration across the Commonwealthregarding FGDM comes out of the StatewideFGDM Implementation Team, which meets bi-monthly at a central location in the state. Formore information on issues related to FGDM or torequest to be notified of statewide meetings, pleasecontact Amy Holmes at the University of PittsburghChild Welfare Training Center, atamh69+@pitt.edu.