ROCKLAND — The City of Rockland and the Rockland Police Department have received an award from the Office of Justice Programs’ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention under the “Building Local Continuums of Care to Support Youth Success” initiative. Rockland received $450,000 in funding to support a collaborative effort of over a dozen organizations that assist youth.

This grant will help fund the development of a pilot project in mid-coast Maine supporting the needs of at-risk and system-involved youth. At the same time, it will build a team, resources, networks, and knowledge to scale this work across the entire state. Supporting organizations for this project are MidCoast Community Collaborative, University of Southern Maine/Place Matters, University of Maine, Restorative Justice Institute of Maine, and Trekkers.

“We are grateful to the OJJDP for this award, and to the many organizations that have been working so hard to make this project happen,” said Rockland Police Chief Tim Carroll, in a news release. “The Landing Place, OUT Maine, staff from RSU13, Straight Ahead Ministries and other Midcoast organizations have been hard at work trying to establish systems to provide place-based intervention and prevention to support needs. The Rockland Police Department is proud to support this highly collaborative effort.”

“It's clear that our communities are struggling to support the mental health crisis plaguing our youth and children,” said Dr. Jessica Berry, director of MidCoast Community Collaborative. “This grant is an exciting opportunity to work collaboratively among organizations, and to also engage our community members and youth in problem solving and solution oriented conversations. I believe that this grant could provide us with some of the support and initial first steps needed to make real substantive change. We are thankful for this opportunity to come together and work collaboratively because this is a whole community issue that requires coordination for a whole community response.”

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, a program office of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs, awarded over $17 million to 26 grantees for the Building Local Continuums of Care to Support Youth Success initiative. The Continuum of Care framework supports a network of services and opportunities to foster positive youth development and prioritizes community safety and effective program outcomes. This new OJJDP investment leverages decades of evidence-based learning to prevent youth from entering or deepening their involvement in the juvenile justice system and steer them on a path to success. At its core, the continuum of care approach is community-driven, leverages local insights, and addresses youth needs through mentoring, after-school programs and other prosocial activities.

About the Office of Justice Programs   

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices can be found at www.ojp.gov.

About the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention www.ojjdp.ojp.gov

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to youth delinquency and victimization. The Office helps states, localities, and Tribes develop effective and equitable juvenile justice systems that create safer communities and empower youth to lead productive lives. More information can be found at the OJJDP website.