ORANGE COUNTY CHILDREN'S THERAPEUTIC ARTS CENTER (4) - 2014

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2014-15 Orange County Children's Therapeutic Arts Center Youth Workforce Investment Act Proposal staff, we will ensure that our enrollment goals will be met by the first quarter. The Case manager will work closely with the TPP staff for referrals of youth with disabilities, and to make sure that our participants will be successful in attaining their goals. OCCTAC's strong partnership with the SAUSD Transitional Partnership Program will aid in the proper enrollment of those youth with disabilities, and to make sure that we meet our 75% youth enrollment benchmark by the first quarter. OCCTAC staff will be meeting with all Santa Ana high school TPP classes from May to July to enroll youth with disabilities. Target group – Foster Youth: Last year we started a great partnership with Orangewood and County of Orange, Social Services, Children and Families Services Division to serve more foster youth! (Please see letter of support). OCCTAC will continue this partnership to ensure enrollment by the 2"d quarter, and expand work experience placements, vocational training, academic/employment services and mentoring to foster youth in Orange County. Target group– Probation Youth: This year we are starting a new partnership with the Santa Ana Police Department and Commander Ken Gominsky to enhance our numbers of youth on probation. Last year we enrolled 10% and are positive that we will exceed this percentage next year. Please see letter of support. E. What are some of the barriers that the youth populations face? - OCCTAC will serve any youth who is in the need of employment, educational, and life skills assistance but have barriers that make it difficult to attain such goals. These barriers include, but are not limited to: low-income, basic skills deficient, homelessness, school dropout, foster youth, emancipated youth, pregnant and/or parenting youth, learning/physical/mental disability, and poor work history. By serving these individuals, OCCTAC will be able to target any youth who may find it difficult to get services elsewhere. OCCTAC's primary focus will be youth with disabilities, foster youth and high school dropouts students. F. Specify how your agency will address the barriers that youth encounter. Our agency will help WIA participants overcome the barriers they face in a variety of ways. First, all youth will be assigned a case manager whose goal will be to provide mentorship meanwhile aiding with the attainment of employment goals, such as writing a resume and preparing for an interview. In retrospect to the direct services from the case manager, the participants will also be required to attend monthly job skills/life skills workshops focusing anywhere from employment attainment/ retention to how be changing factors within their own lives and community. Some of the life skill workshops youth will be asked to attend include: financial literacy workshops, healthy relationships workshops, and STDs prevention, amongst others. To solve any academic barriers, the youth will be assigned to an Educational counselor who will provide direction and coaching on any academic aspect, such as scholarship writing and enrollment into an institution of interest. This service is crucial for all youth participating in the program because it will allow them to learn about various academic paths—like vocational training, HIS recovery programs and 4 -year institutions—while narrowing down a career of interest and actually committing to a program. It is also an essential feature of the program because it will give those youth with disabilities an opportunity to develop self advocacy tools that will help with accommodation attainment in any secondary/postsecondary setting. LXHIBIT A