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Orange County Youth Commission <br />Santa Ana, California <br />procedures.. goals and expectations. They are introduced to the staff, tutors and peers. <br />They are presented with their Club sweat -shirt to create a sense of belonging. We stress <br />that staff are here to assist them to reach their goals and are encouraged to communicate <br />openly with staff so we can partner with them. <br />We have always encouraged parent involvement. We welcome them to observe the <br />activities in the boxing club and to assist with our after-school programs. However, we <br />are serving a community where mothers and fathers are both working two or three jobs. <br />Consequently, many are not available to become involved other than to speak with the <br />tutor/mentor or with the boxing coach/mentor. So. we have beginning and ending of <br />school events and invite the parents to these events to get to know them and have open <br />communication with them. Parents and family are always invited to the boxing <br />tournaments. Anthony has successfully developed trust and communication with parents <br />and family members. Many of the parents call him for counsel when they have a <br />problem with their adolescent (e.g... drug/alcohol use, school involvement, social <br />conflict). Anthony is a licensed Drug/Alcohol Counselor. so he has been able to <br />successfully intervene to prevent these youth in continued substance abuse. <br />Placement in Jobs or Continuing Education <br />We actively refer working -age youth to local job opportunities and instruct them in <br />applying for jobs, such as part-time employment to complement their schooling. <br />One of our guest speakers, an owner of a mattress company. lured one of our participants, <br />and another was hired ata counseling center after job -shadowing one of our staff. <br />Currently. we have two prior or regular boxing club members who are paid employees. <br />We plan to continue this practice of providing work experience to promising young men <br />and women in our program. <br />Follow-up and Retention: <br />As clients exit the program, we will follow-up to make sure they are progressing in their <br />personal goals and working toward employment and career training,. We currently have <br />approximately 11 WIA exits, for which we are following up on a monthly basis. Some <br />continue to attend the boxing club. We plan to call clients monthly after they exit to see <br />how thev are doing, provide on-going counseling and invite them to boxing club <br />activities, including field trips and community project events. Hopefully, many of them <br />will stay in the boxing program after they have completed their year with us. Clients who <br />have exited the program will be invited to different inspirational events and activities as <br />well as field trips and community service activities. <br />During follow-up calls, staff will provide individual counseling to encourage youth to <br />continue to seek a higher education. Mr. Serrano will use this time to assess whether the <br />youth is experiencing obstacles to meeting life goals for higher education. He will then <br />refer student to appropriate assistance (e.g.. drug/alcohol rehab, counseling, etc.). He will <br />14 <br />