Kaua’i Teen Court 2010

As 2010 unfolds before us and as a result of support from individuals, families, companies and foundations, Hale ‘Opio staff will return to a twice monthly schedule of Kaua‘i Teen Court hearings.

Youth volunteers continue to be needed to help fill positions of bailiff, court clerk, jurors, prosecuting and defense attorneys. Typically five to six cases are heard each court hearing night and adult volunteers are needed to help manage and oversee various aspects of the proceedings and jury deliberation. To volunteer your help for Kaua‘i Teen Court, contact Teen Court Manager Anela Patterson at apatterson@haleopio.org.

Additionally, I wanted to share with you some new services we are thinking of offering as part of Kaua‘i Teen Court to support youth offenders and their parents. In past years during the intake and hearing process, parents have asked Hale ‘Opio to provide services, such as parenting classes or family counseling. Although such services are available in the community and we make referrals, when appropriate, it is often “timing” which plays a big role in a person actually following through. We are thinking that if we begin to offer some of these requested services, parents and families may be more likely to take advantage of them than if they have to wait for a parenting class to begin. Kaua‘i Teen Court staff will try to identify services needed or desired currently by youth and/or their parents, and research if we can offer that new service. As a result of previous requests, Hale ‘Opio will begin to offer Professional Counseling services in January 2010 for children, adolescents, and families to address a wide range of problems or difficulties covered by insurance.

Kaua‘i Teen Court already includes classes for the offenders in substance use, anger management, and victim impact as possible choices a peer jury might select as part of an offender’s sentencing requirements, if appropriate to the offense. These classes are meant to teach youth specific information related to the subjects to help them make better choices in the future. For example, Victim Impact Class is designed to help a youth understand how their actions impact the victim and the offender’s own family. New services will be selected and offered dependent on the demand expressed by the youth and their families.

•Questions? A support group of adults in Kaua’i have “stepped into the corner” for teens to answer questions and give support to youth and their families on a wide variety of issues. E-mail questions or concerns facing our youth and families today to LaVerne Bishop, program director of Hale ‘Opio, at lbishop@haleopio.org.