Be a mentor (BAM) will expand its mentoring services to create mentors for california rural youth, an innovative collaboration between BAM, the california police activities league (the sole…

This $2,000,000 Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) under the Juvenile Mentoring Program (CFDA 16.726) will enable Be A Mentor, Inc. to expand its mentoring services for at-risk and high-risk youth in rural California. The program, titled "Mentors for California Rural Youth," will establish a collaboration between Be A Mentor, the California Police Activities League (sole sub-recipient), and the California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force to provide mentoring, case management, and substance use prevention services to youth ages 8-17 in five rural regions across the state. Key activities include recruiting and training volunteer mentors, implementing a substance use prevention curriculum, and connecting youth to needed resources and referrals to help reduce the impact of substance misuse and juvenile justice involvement. The project aims to increase mentoring capacity in these underserved areas and generate positive outcomes for participating youth, such as reduced substance use and delinquency, and improved health and well-being.

Be a mentor (BAM) will expand its mentoring services to create mentors for california rural youth, an innovative collaboration between BAM, the california police activities league (the sole subrecipient of grant funds), and the california national guards counterdrug task force. The purpose of the program is to reduce the impact of substance use and abuse on this vulnerable population. Working with tarzana treatment centers as the substance use treatment and prevention partner, mentors for california rural youth will bring mentors to hard-to-reach rural areas, where youth are largely underserved and under resourced. By providing mentors, case management, and resource/referral to these youth, the program will facilitate a network of services and supports that will help to reduce the impact of substance misuse and crime on these vulnerable youth. Primary activities include mentoring as well as the implementation of a substance use prevention curriculum. Mentors for california rural youth will target five rural areas that span the state of california: lake county, fort bragg and mendocino countyin the north, and blythe and firebaugh in the south. The target population will consist of youth ages 817 receiving substance abuse treatment, who are involved in substance use prevention programs, or whose parents are receiving substance abuse treatment.mentees will be recruited through the california police activities league.mentors will be national guardsmen and women, along with volunteers from the community. Expected outcomes include increased capacity to provide mentoring in these difficult-to-serve areas, as well as positive impacts on youth health and well-being. BAM anticipates that participating youth will experience a reduction in substance use and juvenile justice involvement, and an increase in positive behaviors and protective factors.