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Reconnect For Life (FY18 and Beyond) Annual

Better Off: # of Participants placed in education or work track within 6 months of outreach (starting with identification, includes bi-weekly contact, and uses stage based engagement to work towards education and work) (Annual)

Current Value

21

FY 2020

Definition

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Partners

Reconnect for Life embraces partnerships to increase the impact on opportunity youths lives. Each year the program holds quarterly partner meetings with Two Generation partners, and a broader partner event.  The partner events aim to raise awareness among service providers, community members, and employers about the strengths and challenges that local opportunity youth have, and to build cross sector relationships.

Chesapeake College – Actively partners to provide stage-based education track opportunities for Reconnect for Life’s opportunity youth.  These can range from customized tours and admission guidance to themed certificate offerings like Customer Service. The College offers Adult Basic Education and GED classes at the family support center and the detention center on a regular basis as well. Reconnect for Life works closely with the college to address barriers like transportation, child care, and food. 

Kent Family Center – The local family support center sub contracts with Maryland Rural Development Corporation to provide case management for opportunity youth in the active cohort. They are a Two Generation Partner by using the Crisis to Thrive Tool. They were a vital partner since the planning phase and have helped to refer and engage opportunity youth, especially parenting opportunity youth. The support center also provides space for workshops and activities.

MRDC Housing Outreach Office – referral source and Two Generation partner.  When Reconnect for Life opportunity youth have housing needs, the program manager takes them to the Housing Outreach office where the youth completes the Crisis to Thrive assessment.

Head Start – Located next door to the family support center, Head Start primarily provides referrals.  They also serve as an employment partner, having hired a Reconnect for Life opportunity youth in August 2018.

American Job Center – Co-located with the family support center, Head Start, and the Housing Outreach Office, the AJC provides referrals and employment assessments and services. They have been part of the planning process to more effectively connect services to opportunity youth, and have been asked to use the Crisis to Thrive Tool, but they have been able to partner at that level yet.

Department of Social Services – referral source and service provider

Local Media – interviews with local radio stations and newspaper.  The program manager has also presented to Town Councils and broadcasts his publicity work on social media.

Local Employers – Reconnect for Life opportunity youth have been placed in jobs with local businesses like Echo Hill Camp, Acme, Arby’s, Eastern Shore Tents and Events, Taco Bell, Whiting Turner Construction, ELB Car Shop, and Waterman’s Crab Shack.

What Works

Reconnect for Life's worked on a case by case basis to identify the best strategy for each participating youth. For employment placements, the program manager worked directly with local employers to identify openings and works with the opportunity youth to submit applications and address transportation and childcare barriers before beginning employment. The program manager worked with youth if a job placement ended, to evaluate next steps and try again, sometimes looking at education options before seeking new employment. Reconnect for Life's partnership with Chesapeake College provided direct access to education track options, and presented education programming options to opportunity youth in appropriate formats that helped youth feel prepared to enroll. 

Data Discussion

FY20 - 9 unduplicated youth sustained employment and/or school for over 3 months or longer (4 with About Child Trauma, 4 with Kent Family Center and one shared between both vendors)  

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Scorecard Container Measure Action Actual Value Target Value Tag S A m/d/yy m/d/yyyy