Community youth network, in collaboration with the 19TH judicial district, will provide therapeutic mentoring to youth involved with the juvenile justice system

The Community Youth Network, Inc. (CYN Counseling Center) was awarded a $500,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) under the Juvenile Mentoring Program (CFDA 16.726). The grant, which runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2027, will enable CYN to provide therapeutic mentoring services to 120 youth involved with the juvenile justice system in Lake County, Illinois, with a focus on serving youth from the cities of Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion. CYN will match each youth with a therapeutic mentor who will provide individual and group mentoring for up to 18 months, utilizing the Transition to Independence evidence-based model. The grant-funded program will also offer animal-assisted therapy and team-building activities to support the participating youth.

Community youth network will serve 30 youth annually through new mentor matches, with 120 youth referred during the grant period. Eligible youth are from lake county, IL, who were younger than age 18 at the point of arrest or referral who have been arrested or referred for intake to a public agency legally responsible for handling youth crime, delinquency, and youth in need of guidance, treatment, or rehabilitation due to problematic behavior. While services are offered to youth in lake county, priority will be given to youth from waukegan, north chicago, and zion, as 43 percent of the youth on probation in the county are from these towns, and these communities have an identified need for youth services. Youth will be matched with a therapeutic mentor who will provide individual and group mentoring for 13 hours per week for up to 18 months. Youth will have opportunities to participate in animal-assisted therapy through a contract with susanna farms and team building through a contract with ymca's camp duncan. Mentors will utilize the transition to independence evidence-based model to assist the youth in meeting their goals.