Community
Transforming our community by
building up our youth.
Support through prevention, early intervention, and treatment to divert youth from entering or re-entering the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
Leaders of Tomorrow
Building character and leadership skills with high school students.
Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) is a youth development program at Manual High School in Peoria designed to provide at-risk students with support services to foster a successful high school experience.
Students participate in the program for all four years of high school and earn financial incentives that can be applied after graduation to pay for post-secondary educational and vocational expenses. Our staff works with the students on personal development and character-building experiences that promote positive choices, reduction of at-risk behavior, academic support, community service, and career aspirations.
“Leaders of Tomorrow helped me take my studies in high school seriously. Being around my program peers, we were able to help keep each other focused on graduating from high school. I continued my education and was able to get a Political Science degree.”
— Leaders of Tomorrow graduate
Mental Health Juvenile Justice (MHJJ)
Support services for youth in the juvenile justice system.
Our MHJJ program addresses the mental health, mood disorder, or psychiatric needs of youth between the ages of 10-17 in Peoria County who have been involved in the juvenile justice system or are at-risk of being involved with the juvenile justice system. Our staff help with case coordination and referrals to appropriate mental health or psychiatric consultations to help the youth keep themselves safe, heal from past trauma, and stay out of the juvenile justice system. This voluntary program can last for up to six months and referrals typically come from probation officers, court officials, mental health providers, Juvenile Detention Center staff, or other professionals involved in the youth’s life.
For more information or to make a referral, please contact Sharon Armstrong, [email protected] or call 309-687-7525.
Comprehensive Community-Based Youth Services (CCBYS)
Crisis intervention for at-risk youth who have nowhere to go.
We provide round-the-clock care and crisis intervention for youth ages 10-17 in Peoria County who have run away, been “locked out” by a parent or caregiver, or who refuse to return home after coming in contact with law enforcement. We are also able to help youth who demonstrate delinquent or at-risk behavior, without having experienced a “lock out.” The program works to preserve or reunify the living situation to keep the family intact with a holistic approach to a healthy home environment. Services are available for up to three months and may include crisis counseling, mediation, emergency short-term placement, individual/family/group counseling, recreation, skill building, advocacy, and referrals to other community support services.
For more information or to make a referral, please contact Mark Cook, [email protected], or call 309-687-7524.
