Program Development VISTA

The NH Juvenile Court Diversion Network’s 16 accredited juvenile court diversion programs serve upwards of 700 youth per year arrested for a first-time offense. Our groundbreaking recidivism study indicated that one year after program completion 79% of youth are still free from court involvement and three years later 67.2% are still free from juvenile or adult court involvement. We now screen all youth for alcohol and other drug use and signs of depression in order to provide services early and prevent more youth slipping into substance use disorder. (We are concerned that 50% of youth are reporting symptoms of depression and 72% use of at least one substance.) With NH's serious opioid and other substance use crisis, prevention and early detection can save lives. All NH Juvenile Court Diversion Programs are based on restorative justice principles, which address harm to the victim, the community and the youth him/herself.

With a community-based panel designing consequences for the youth, we ensure they are strengths-based and relevant to the issue at hand. Often apology letters are included for the youth to send to the parents for losing trust, or anonymously to the victim, to ensure that the youth has a powerful, restorative experience and can move forward in a positive way. We regularly have requests for communities wanting to develop capacity for a juvenile court diversion program and unfortunately only have the ability to mentor one new program at a time. Developing an Expansion Toolkit and providing technical assistance to programs will be incredibly helpful to interested communities now and in the future. Ultimately it will enable us to broaden our impact, thus meeting the increased demand for quality early-intervention services for low income youth engaging in high risk behavior that we now know are exhibiting symptoms of behavioral health issues. See www.nhcourtdiversion.org for more information.

If you’re trying to decide which direction to pursue between a bachelor’s degree and grad school, the NH Juvenile Court Diversion Network is offering the perfect position! Our accredited programs combine aspects of counseling, social work, public health, public policy and criminal justice into a highly acclaimed array of services across NH. We are seeking a VISTA– with a sense of humor and love of autonomy to conduct interviews, research and help write an Expansion Toolkit for new and emerging programs. With connections to 16 programs, award-winning leadership and a supervisor with an MPH and MSW, this VISTA position will have a lasting impact on helping youth reduce substance use, remain free from the criminal justice system and have a chance at a healthy future. If interested, opportunities exist to learn non-profit management, grant writing and budgeting, and to build connections with key state leaders. Flexible schedule, 35-hour/4-day potential work week, office environment.

The Families in Transition (FIT) VISTA Program is focused on improving the quality of life for the most disadvantaged members of New Hampshire communities. Our efforts are led by a remarkable team of dedicated AmeriCorps VISTA members from all over the country. Our capacity building VISTAs are strategically placed with selected host sites that provide critical services, training and empowerment programs aimed at lifting residents up and out of the chains of poverty. As a VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America), you will work for a minimum of one year to build programs, create change, and fight poverty in New Hampshire communities.

For more information about AmeriCorps, visit: www.nationalservice.gov.

For more information about the FIT VISTA Program visit: www.fitnh.org/vista.

To view the full position description and apply, visit: