Community Solutions
Program Location: New York City
Eligibility: 13+ year olds charged with a misdemeanor or felony, including VFOs; cannot pose serious danger to the community or present unmanageable psychiatric symptoms
Description:
CCA’s Community Solutions Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) Program offers an array of services ranging in duration from 2 to 9 months for participants mandated to the program. The Community Solutions ATI program provides participants with a pro-social environment to develop the necessary social and emotional skills needed to lead productive, law-abiding lives. Through group workshops and one-on-one sessions, participants are provided with individualized service plans responsive to the participant’s identified strengths and needs, and are addressed through their engagement in relevant evidence-based cognitive behavioral interventions (e.g., Interactive Journaling, Moral Reconation Therapy, Thinking for a Change), one-on-one sessions and/or other ancillary services.
The following services are available to all ATI participants, as needed:
- Mental Health Counseling
- Substance Use Treatment
- Evidence-Based Groups
- Educational Support & Advocacy
- Mentoring Services
- Anger Management
- Individualized Housing Support
- Curfew Monitoring
- Domestic Violence
- Employment & Vocational Services
- Toxicology Screenings
- On-Site HIV Testing
Contact: Lucy Chrysiliou, Director, Alternative to Incarceration/Detention Programs, 718-858-9658 x433, lchrysiliou@communityalternatives.org
Court Advocacy
Program Location: New York City
Eligibility: Individuals ages 13 and over charged with either felony level offenses in Supreme Court or misdemeanor level offenses in Criminal Court
Description:
Since 1981, CCA’s Court Services have expanded from an initial focus on sentencing mitigation work to include gender-specific substance use treatment, reentry programs, and youth advocacy services. Currently, court services in New York City include:
- sentencing mitigation services
- dispositional planning
- alternatives-to-detention, alternatives-to-incarceration, and placement services
The Court Advocacy Unit accepts referrals from attorneys, prosecutors, judges, parole and probation officers, as well as family members. Court Advocates screen and assess potential candidate – which include a review of the individual’s legal documents and collateral interviews with family members – to determine their eligibility to enroll in CCA. Court Advocates will prepare and present eligibility letters and/or comprehensive individualized Client Specific Plans (CSP) with recommendations. As needed, Court Advocates are prepared to testify in Court as to the content and the nature of the recommended services.
For those mandated to CCA by the court, Court Advocates provide all parties (viz., attorney, prosecutor and judge) written updates regarding a participant’s progress. Court Advocates also make court appearances (either virtual or in-person), providing an on-the-record summary of the participant’s progress.
Contact: Katherine Leptokaropoulos, Director of Court Services, 718-858-9658 x426, kleptokaropoulos@communityalternatives.org
Family Court Client Specific Planning
Program Location: New York City
Eligibility: Youth (ages 11-17) charged as Juvenile Delinquents in Family Court
Description:
The Family Court Client Specific Planning (CSP) Program provides up to one year of community-based supervision as an Alternative to Placement (ATP) for juvenile justice-involved youth. Its purpose is to help youth with pending juvenile delinquency petitions in Family Court live at home, remain in school, abide by court mandates, and stay out of further trouble.
Youth in the Family Court CSP program participate in programs rooted in a Youth Development Model that emphasizes strengths and positive attributes, as well as avoiding negative behavior. Youth collaborate with their assigned case manager to develop an individualized service plan is aligned with their identified strengths and needs. Youth engage in both individual case management and group workshop sessions. Among services offered include educational planning and support (including weekly monitoring of school attendance), career-readiness training and internship placement, mentoring, and daily curfew monitoring.
Progress reports are submitted to the Court, Law Guardian, Office of Corporate Counsel, and Probation.
Contact: Katherine Leptokaropoulos, Director of Court Services, 718-858-9658 x426, kleptokaropoulos@communityalternatives.org
Mitigation Services
Program Location: Across New York State
Eligibility: Individuals facing criminal charges, with a referral by their attorney
Description:
CCA’s Mitigation Services (formerly known as Client Specific Planning) is the longest running mitigation program in New York State. We assist criminal defense attorneys with advocacy at all stages of the criminal justice process, including equities, sentencing memoranda, and other functions upon request.
CCA’s defense-based mitigation reports include:
- comprehensive biopsychosocial history
- retrieval and review of records
- sociological research
These reports culminate in an evidence-based recommendation regarding disposition. We also assist in case management and service referrals as needed in order to help facilitate the best outcome for our participants. Our strategic advocacy has a strong track record of assisting courts in determining the most just and appropriate disposition in criminal cases, focusing on individual needs, alternatives to incarceration, rehabilitation, and reentry.
Upstate Contact: Robert Smith, Director of Mitigation Services, 315-422-5638 x233, rsmith@communityalternatives.org
New York City-Westchester Contact: Katherine Leptokaropoulos, Director of Court Services, 718-858-9658 x426, kleptokaropoulos@communityalternatives.org