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Livescan Fingerprinting News In Brief
"Grim TV ad targets young Marin smokers" BACR In Focus BACR In Focus offers an in-depth look at one of the many community and school programs offered by Bay Area Community Resources. Bay Area Community Resources’ Gateway Project - Bay Area Community Resources (BACR) has been providing alcohol and other drug services (AOD) to adults, youth, and children for over two decades. Serving six Bay Area counties, BACR’s AOD programs reach thousands of youth and adults annually, helping prevent and treat substance abuse or addiction through education, counseling, and referral services in a variety of settings including schools, jails, community wellness clinics as well as BACR’s own outpatient settings in Marin City and San Rafael. We are pleased to announce the addition of adult alcohol and other drug services to BACR’s Gateway Project in West Contra Costa County. West Contra County has historically been one of the Bay Area’s most underserved communities despite having among the state’s highest rates of poverty, crime, violence, school failure, unemployment, gang activity, teen pregnancy, and alcohol and other drug problems. Contra Costa County Alcohol and Other Drug Services has funded this expansion to address this growing unmet need. Services to Be Provided—Gateway Alcohol and Other Drug Services include outpatient treatment using motivational interviewing and cognitive behavior therapy. Clients participate in group and individual counseling and receive case management support based on their treatment progress. Gateway will also encourage client attendance and participation in 12-Step meetings. In addition to a specific focus on reducing alcohol and drug use, treatment will focus on development of skills that will lead to a healthier, lawful personal independence. Treatment themes include anger management, domestic violence, grief issues, and co-dependence. Relapse prevention groups include topics such as guilt and shame, motivation for recovery and emotional triggers. Hours of Operation—To accommodate the diverse schedule of clients, Gateway will provide services during both daytime and evening hours. Location: 13201 San Pablo Ave, Suite 205, San Pablo, CA 94806 For More Information: Bay Area Community Resources Bay Area Community Resources (BACR) is a non-profit community agency that has served youth and families since 1976. BACR has been providing after school programs for over two decades. Currently we have two management roles:
BACR is excited to offer these two services to schools and districts to help implement after school programs through Proposition 49 funding.
BACR as the Lead Agency
We collaborate with the school to hire staff and engage volunteers, so everyone has a voice in deciding who works with the students. All staff must have background and health clearances. The BACR philosophy about after school programs extends far beyond keeping children safe. We believe in providing a nurturing and enjoyable environment where students can improve their academic skills, and we believe in integrating the principles and practices of youth development into all activities. Just as important, we see the schools, students, and parents as our customers, and we believe it is our responsibility to understand and meet their needs. This approach to after school programs is consistent with the BACR mission of serving youth and families, fostering volunteerism, and building community. As a large, diverse community agency, BACR has the organizational capacity and infrastructure to maintain high quality while expanding our services. A 2005 study of our after school programs demonstrated positive change in CST scores, reading and language arts grades, and youth development assets. Distinct Advantages to Partner Schools:
Clear Benefits for Students:
A Typical Program Day The bell rings and we are ready to greet the students when they come through the door. All staff take groups of students under their wing, so that every student has a particular adult who is looking out for them, even if the attendance is 60 or 80 or 100 students per day. A snack in the cafeteria or outside takes about 20 minutes. Then a 10-15 minute recess lets students unwind. Homework help lasts 45 - 60 minutes 4 days per week. This occurs in classrooms, with students grouped by age. BACR has an explicit homework help model that focuses on the teacher’s learning objectives and on conveying learning strategies that improve students’ homework skills and study skills. After homework, students transition into the cafeteria as an orderly way to re-form groups for the upcoming enrichment activities. The staff leading each activity call their students and then lead them to the classroom or yard. Each day typically sees 3-5 enrichment activities at a time. Examples are choir, capoeira, dance, art, drama, creative writing, kids lit, leadership training, sports and fitness, cooking, and service learning. We often organize “fun Friday” activities that are a bit out of the ordinary. Students receive a late snack before they go home. At the end of the day, staff see “their” children safely off— onto a school bus or greeting the parents or guardians who pick up their children. This gives an opportunity to discuss the kids with parents and make the parents feel welcome at school. BACR as the Fiscal Sponsor Some school districts want to deliver their own after school programs but need help operating the human resources function. BACR can serve as the fiscal sponsor to enroll staff and manage payroll and fringe benefits while leaving the actual program management to the school. This facilitates rapid deployment of staff and resources and gets programs up and running quickly and efficiently. Our fiscal sponsorship services offer school districts important features:
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