NextStep AmeriCorps

Monroe County/City of Rochester youths under 18 years of age apprehended by the criminal justice system are adjudicated in Monroe County Family Court. Typically, those who have not been successful in other juvenile treatment programs and/or whose personal situations/diagnoses are highly complex are remanded to the NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) that operates the State Industry School in Rush, NY, Monroe County. Under a unique agreement between Monroe County and OCFS, after completing an intensive evaluation by OCFS, Monroe County youths are placed by OCFS at its Industry facility in Monroe County. Monroe County prefers to have its youth close to their families and the communities to which they will be returning. Most of these youths are minorities from Rochester's chaotic inner-city neighborhoods where the homicide rate for African-American young males is 65 times the national average. The recidivism rate for Monroe County youths leaving the Industry facility remains at 75-80%. Most youth recidivate within the early months of their crucial transition back to the community. 

The NextStep AmeriCorps Program is a collaborative effort between the Academy for Career Development (The Academy), the OCFS Industry School, Nazareth College of Rochester, Monroe Community College (MCC) Human Services and Service Learning Departments, Pathways to Peace, and local community & faith based organizations.  The program is designed to meet the needs of youth who are transitioning from the State Industry School to the general population and their families.  This Project will place a full-time AmeriCorps member in a strategic Community Based Organization within each of the city’s four quadrants to which Industry students return. Five full-time NextStep AmeriCorps members, working with the MCC Human Services and Service Learning Departments, will recruit Mentors living in the quadrant neighborhoods to which Industry students return. Twenty mentors will be trained as part-time NextStep AmeriCorps members in mentoring returning Industry youth and other out-of-school youth.  The training will be provided by OCFS Industry, Pathways to Peace, and MCC faculty. The neighborhood-based full-time AmeriCorps members, working with Pathways to Peace, will place successfully trained, qualified part-time AmeriCorps Mentors with Industry youth as they return to their neighborhood. 

Each Industry youth, while in the facility, will develop a Transition Plan through the Nazareth College Transition Planning Program. As they do so, they will be introduced to Pathways to Peace staff. Upon returning to the community, each Industry youth will be connected by Pathways to Peace to the neighborhood-based full-time AmeriCorps members and an individual part-time AmeriCorps member Mentor who will assist them in maintaining effective community connections to the resources referenced in their Transition Plan Goals. These resources include schools, employment, personal financial management, independent living skills development, transportation, positive social relationships, recreation, health care, and advocacy.  The Academy for Career Development (The Academy) administers & coordinates all components of the Next Step AmeriCorps program to assure effective collaboration among project partners.

NextStep's primary goals are:

• To establish in each City quadrant a sustained neighborhood-based network of service providers that will be operationalized including, but not limited to, youth services, positive youth development, street gang intervention, educational providers, recreation services, health care, and faith-based communities. The network will be trained in providing coordinated, integrated services to Industry youth, and reflect their unique needs.
• A minimum of at least 20 Industry School youth will complete a comprehensive Transition Plan while in the facility and implement 50% of their Plan in the community in the 1st pilot year with support from the neighborhood-based network of services.
• At least 20 Industry youth will receive coordinated, integrated services from the neighborhood-based network, reducing the recidivism rate by at least 25% in the 1st pilot year.  
• 25 college students and others who live within the communities to which the Industry School youth are returning will be enrolled as NextStep AmeriCorps members and trained in positive youth development & serving Industry youth, and will be introduced to career opportunities in youth services at Industry School, within OCFS, and other agencies serving high risk youth.