WEBVTT 00:00:13.520 --> 00:00:17.539 Hello and welcome to Listen.Up.People., a podcast 00:00:17.539 --> 00:00:20.519 of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:23.739 Work. I'm Dr. Holly Priebe Sotelo, Associate 00:00:23.739 --> 00:00:26.640 Teaching Professor of Practicum Education. In 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:29.579 today's episode, We're discussing advocating 00:00:29.579 --> 00:00:32.500 for youth justice and how to interrupt the cycle 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:36.179 of community trauma and violence that disproportionately 00:00:36.179 --> 00:00:39.439 impacts marginalized youth populations. Studies 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:42.359 show that youth who become involved with the 00:00:42.359 --> 00:00:44.939 juvenile justice system often begin their lives 00:00:44.939 --> 00:00:48.259 with adverse childhood experiences, also referred 00:00:48.259 --> 00:00:50.880 to as ACEs. For many of those youth and their 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:53.159 families, they may also have been involved with 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:56.100 the Child Protective Services. My guest today, 00:00:56.280 --> 00:00:59.520 are both youth justice advocates seeking to elevate 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:02.140 awareness of the challenges within the system 00:01:02.140 --> 00:01:05.099 and to humanize the children and youth trying 00:01:05.099 --> 00:01:08.239 to find their way out of it. Dr. Robert Hernandez, 00:01:08.700 --> 00:01:11.120 assistant teaching professor and my social work 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:16.000 colleague, and also Angela Montijo, a USC MSW 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.319 alumna whose work with Girls Empowerment Network 00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:23.250 in Austin, Texas. first as juvenile justice program 00:01:23.250 --> 00:01:26.209 facilitator and now as training and curriculum 00:01:26.209 --> 00:01:29.250 manager. I'm pleased to welcome you both here. 00:01:29.349 --> 00:01:31.730 Great to have you. Thank you for having us. Wonderful. 00:01:32.409 --> 00:01:35.650 Yes, thank you. I really like to start off with 00:01:35.650 --> 00:01:38.750 asking a more personal question, more about how 00:01:38.750 --> 00:01:41.670 you became involved in this topic. So I'd like 00:01:41.670 --> 00:01:44.209 to start with you, Robert. If you could please 00:01:44.209 --> 00:01:47.230 share with our listeners a little bit of how 00:01:47.230 --> 00:01:50.790 you became interested in this work with advocacy 00:01:50.790 --> 00:01:53.430 for youth impacted by the juvenile justice system. 00:01:53.659 --> 00:01:56.760 Yeah, so it actually started in undergrad when 00:01:56.760 --> 00:01:59.379 I had the privilege and honor to pursue higher 00:01:59.379 --> 00:02:02.519 education. Friends I grew up with didn't go on 00:02:02.519 --> 00:02:04.840 to hire it or even let alone graduate from high 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:07.560 school. And it was there when I saw the alarming 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:10.219 research being presented to me in one of my social 00:02:10.219 --> 00:02:13.840 problems class where it emphasized that we do 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:16.840 have a racial justice issue that are negatively 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:20.360 targeting our youth of color. And it was at that 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:25.490 point where I felt so moved, like I haven't ever 00:02:25.490 --> 00:02:28.110 felt before that something needed to be done. 00:02:28.129 --> 00:02:31.969 When you saw the high rates of substance abuse, 00:02:32.430 --> 00:02:36.469 teen pregnancy, youth homicide, youth incarceration, 00:02:37.210 --> 00:02:41.090 the list goes on. And it was like so alarming 00:02:41.090 --> 00:02:44.349 that you could kind of describe what areas it 00:02:44.349 --> 00:02:47.250 was impacting. In large part, it was impacting 00:02:47.250 --> 00:02:51.110 a lot of our communities of color. And It was 00:02:51.110 --> 00:02:54.069 at that point where I had this rude awakening 00:02:54.069 --> 00:02:57.930 where it all made sense at that moment in time. 00:02:58.110 --> 00:03:01.449 Why was it that so -and -so that I went to elementary 00:03:01.449 --> 00:03:04.129 school and middle school was no longer there. 00:03:04.150 --> 00:03:06.310 There were slang and dope on the street corner. 00:03:06.710 --> 00:03:09.669 Why was it that so -and -so at the age of 14 00:03:09.669 --> 00:03:13.069 was murdered? Why was it that so many of the 00:03:13.069 --> 00:03:16.509 folks I know and grew up with somehow were connected 00:03:16.509 --> 00:03:19.370 to the carceral system, whether having a family 00:03:19.370 --> 00:03:24.150 member. aunt, uncle, dad, father. Why was it 00:03:24.150 --> 00:03:27.789 that so many of girls I grew up with were, you 00:03:27.789 --> 00:03:31.169 know, plagued with teen pregnancy? It was just 00:03:31.169 --> 00:03:34.389 alarming. And at that moment, it just hit me 00:03:34.389 --> 00:03:37.189 like, wow, I wasn't imagining things. It wasn't 00:03:37.189 --> 00:03:40.110 until I saw the theoretical frameworks that there 00:03:40.110 --> 00:03:42.409 were social structures working against certain 00:03:42.409 --> 00:03:45.930 communities and large in part impacting our youth. 00:03:46.530 --> 00:03:49.949 And it's interesting, Holly, that I didn't realize 00:03:49.949 --> 00:03:54.490 that growing up, I had my own bouts with the 00:03:54.490 --> 00:03:56.990 juvenile, as my youngsters say, injustice system. 00:03:57.310 --> 00:04:00.270 But it didn't register to me because it was so 00:04:00.270 --> 00:04:04.689 normalized that I found myself even engaged with 00:04:04.689 --> 00:04:08.150 what they had put me on informal probation, an 00:04:08.150 --> 00:04:10.430 oxymoron if you ever hear one, right? Because 00:04:10.430 --> 00:04:13.009 you still have to check in with a probation officer. 00:04:13.550 --> 00:04:19.339 But if you do not catch a infraction, then hopefully, 00:04:19.379 --> 00:04:21.920 you know, you won't catch the infraction because 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:24.500 then it will make it formalize probation. So 00:04:24.500 --> 00:04:29.439 even myself in my upbringing, I came to realize 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:33.279 that I was even touched by the system. And it's 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:37.579 just alarming to see how there's this entrapment 00:04:37.579 --> 00:04:40.699 that presents itself and how youth continually 00:04:40.699 --> 00:04:44.759 just cycle in so easily. And it becomes more 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:48.680 of a control mechanism to keep Certain communities 00:04:48.680 --> 00:04:51.939 feeling safe while targeting other communities 00:04:51.939 --> 00:04:54.699 and keeping them bound to this carceral system 00:04:54.699 --> 00:04:58.399 So it was there that I really was passionate. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:02.769 I came to know populations in East Oakland, East 00:05:02.769 --> 00:05:05.769 San Jose that I started working with youth. And 00:05:05.769 --> 00:05:07.730 that's where I really became passionate, lit 00:05:07.730 --> 00:05:10.370 a fire under me. And I was like, we need to take 00:05:10.370 --> 00:05:12.230 this to the communities. We need to take this 00:05:12.230 --> 00:05:14.850 to the streets. And that brought me back to LA 00:05:14.850 --> 00:05:18.379 to really work in my own hometown. Right on, 00:05:18.379 --> 00:05:21.680 Robert. Wow. And I know the students also have 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:24.060 that same fire when they're in your class. I 00:05:24.060 --> 00:05:28.120 hear it every day. So thank you so much. Angela, 00:05:28.660 --> 00:05:31.660 and so I know you started your career as a school 00:05:31.660 --> 00:05:34.699 social worker. How did you come to transition 00:05:34.699 --> 00:05:37.579 to focus specifically on juvenile justice? I 00:05:37.579 --> 00:05:40.310 appreciate the question. I would say that my 00:05:40.310 --> 00:05:42.449 work with youth impacted by the juvenile justice 00:05:42.449 --> 00:05:45.470 system came at the intersection of a couple of 00:05:45.470 --> 00:05:48.850 things. As a school social worker, I'd continually 00:05:48.850 --> 00:05:51.529 get referrals for what were considered the quote 00:05:51.529 --> 00:05:55.189 unquote problem students, right? And it was important 00:05:55.189 --> 00:05:57.790 to me to maintain my therapeutic relationships 00:05:57.790 --> 00:06:01.449 with them. So I would still meet with them at 00:06:01.449 --> 00:06:04.829 their respective disciplinary alternative education 00:06:04.829 --> 00:06:07.709 programs or DAPs is what they're called here. 00:06:08.170 --> 00:06:10.769 They're often referred to these places these 00:06:10.769 --> 00:06:13.029 campuses within the school district that they're 00:06:13.029 --> 00:06:17.009 at. These are mandatory off campus settings that 00:06:17.009 --> 00:06:20.389 students who violate school codes of conduct 00:06:20.389 --> 00:06:25.310 are sent to. It said that DAPs are intended to 00:06:25.310 --> 00:06:29.149 be places for behavioral rehabilitation, counseling, 00:06:29.649 --> 00:06:32.529 and academic progress in a restrictive environment 00:06:32.529 --> 00:06:34.569 so that students can have a successful return 00:06:34.569 --> 00:06:37.449 to their campus, but it didn't always work out 00:06:37.449 --> 00:06:40.449 that way because these campuses were often just 00:06:40.449 --> 00:06:42.649 another stop along the school to prison pipeline. 00:06:43.290 --> 00:06:46.639 So there's that. And then on the personal level, 00:06:47.019 --> 00:06:50.420 I was diagnosed with a number of autoimmune disorders 00:06:50.420 --> 00:06:55.720 and this happened in I think it was 2022. something 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:58.480 like that. And my rheumatologist basically had 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:01.079 a come to Jesus conversation with me where I 00:07:01.079 --> 00:07:03.579 had to reassess the sources of stress in my life 00:07:03.579 --> 00:07:07.420 and working out of school became a big one. So 00:07:07.420 --> 00:07:09.480 I was fortunate to find Girls Empowerment Network, 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:12.279 which offers more of a hybrid model that meets 00:07:12.279 --> 00:07:15.019 both my health needs while also giving me the 00:07:15.019 --> 00:07:18.800 opportunities to uplift my own lived experiences 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:21.879 as someone who grew up in what I lovingly call 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:24.980 pre -Starbucks Inglewood, California, and was 00:07:24.980 --> 00:07:28.100 touched by a number of carceral systems along 00:07:28.100 --> 00:07:31.000 the way, me and my family. So it's sort of that 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:33.920 intersection that came into play there. Excellent. 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:36.579 Thank you, Angela. And thank you, Robert, for 00:07:36.579 --> 00:07:40.370 sharing. that vulnerable part in your life and 00:07:40.370 --> 00:07:44.670 the unfortunate chain of events that sometimes 00:07:44.670 --> 00:07:48.129 lead us down this path. And many social workers 00:07:48.129 --> 00:07:51.589 usually have that kind of aha moment, right? 00:07:51.629 --> 00:07:55.029 That that rude awakening. So I'm just so grateful 00:07:55.029 --> 00:07:59.129 to to share this platform with you both. So, 00:07:59.449 --> 00:08:03.209 Robert, something that you do exceptionally well, 00:08:03.370 --> 00:08:05.889 I mean, there's no secret about this. You are, 00:08:05.889 --> 00:08:10.339 you know, one of our finest professors at the 00:08:10.339 --> 00:08:13.560 school and is really integrating local community. 00:08:14.470 --> 00:08:18.009 organizations working in youth justice and gang 00:08:18.009 --> 00:08:20.949 prevention spaces into classes that you teach 00:08:20.949 --> 00:08:24.610 and taking it from theory into practice right 00:08:24.610 --> 00:08:27.610 here in Los Angeles County. Can you share something 00:08:27.610 --> 00:08:30.949 about that and the advantages that this approach 00:08:30.949 --> 00:08:33.750 that you have offers to our students and to our 00:08:33.750 --> 00:08:36.450 community organizations? Yeah, well, I do have 00:08:36.450 --> 00:08:40.129 to give credence to those who educated me and 00:08:40.129 --> 00:08:43.429 really taking more of an experiential approach 00:08:43.429 --> 00:08:46.730 to this so You know, me, myself coming up in 00:08:46.730 --> 00:08:49.309 the Masters in Social Work program here at USC, 00:08:49.570 --> 00:08:52.730 I was surrounded by phenomenal professors that 00:08:52.730 --> 00:08:55.409 really embedded in me the importance of community 00:08:55.409 --> 00:08:58.409 centered approaches, right? So I think of my 00:08:58.409 --> 00:09:02.129 colleagues, Dr. Annalisa Enrile, Ralph Fertig, 00:09:02.370 --> 00:09:04.950 John Seeger. I mean, the list goes on. I mean, 00:09:04.950 --> 00:09:07.610 I could keep on going on and on and on. Esther 00:09:07.610 --> 00:09:10.490 Gillies, just phenomenal teaching and curricula 00:09:10.490 --> 00:09:13.649 that we had when I was right here. Just a phenomenal 00:09:13.649 --> 00:09:16.620 program. So it was that training that really 00:09:16.620 --> 00:09:19.700 was embedded that we need to always center community 00:09:19.700 --> 00:09:23.220 voice. Community who are most wedded to the issues 00:09:23.220 --> 00:09:25.259 often have the solution and the resolve. They 00:09:25.259 --> 00:09:28.360 just need the platform to be heard and seen. 00:09:28.919 --> 00:09:30.620 And that's something that, you know, my work 00:09:30.620 --> 00:09:33.139 with certain agencies like Homeboy Industries, 00:09:33.620 --> 00:09:35.899 Anti -Resident Coalition, The List Goes On, Champions 00:09:35.899 --> 00:09:39.419 in Service, Homing in Needles, and Youth Justice 00:09:39.419 --> 00:09:44.820 Coalition. It's about being able to really engage 00:09:44.820 --> 00:09:48.159 and partner with community members and having 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:51.840 them drive and lead the process. And at the same 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:55.919 time, I really feel that our students are hungry 00:09:55.919 --> 00:10:00.080 for that. They want to be in the real time scenario. 00:10:00.580 --> 00:10:03.360 They want to really see how these frameworks 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:07.340 come to life. And it's that where I would say 00:10:07.340 --> 00:10:10.340 back in 2000, I'm going to date myself here, 00:10:10.679 --> 00:10:15.330 going way back 2008. 17 years ago, 18 years ago, 00:10:15.629 --> 00:10:18.730 when I was given the opportunity to co -create 00:10:18.730 --> 00:10:21.710 the Social Work 350 Adolescent Gang Intervention 00:10:21.710 --> 00:10:23.990 Class, which is in our Social Work Minor in Juvenile 00:10:23.990 --> 00:10:28.210 Justice, where I really, before I started that 00:10:28.210 --> 00:10:30.970 development and design of that course, I got 00:10:30.970 --> 00:10:33.370 community blessings. It was a time where there 00:10:33.370 --> 00:10:36.389 was an uptick in community violence, and I had 00:10:36.389 --> 00:10:39.490 key community elders and people, those who are 00:10:39.490 --> 00:10:42.149 working as community violence reduction specialists, 00:10:42.590 --> 00:10:46.129 who actually authorize and influence that curricula 00:10:46.129 --> 00:10:49.429 so fine that the students who take the course, 00:10:49.529 --> 00:10:53.789 they see how current practice modalities are 00:10:53.789 --> 00:10:56.809 done with community because it was built with 00:10:56.809 --> 00:11:00.230 community. And that whole course, I would say 00:11:00.230 --> 00:11:02.929 still is on the books and probably is the most 00:11:02.929 --> 00:11:05.850 well attended because they're seeing community 00:11:05.850 --> 00:11:09.950 each session come to life. in the classroom and 00:11:09.950 --> 00:11:12.990 in outside the classroom. So we have them in 00:11:12.990 --> 00:11:14.990 the classroom, outside the classroom. We have 00:11:14.990 --> 00:11:17.744 community members come in, educate them because... 00:11:17.740 --> 00:11:19.559 you know, they're going to get stuff that you're 00:11:19.559 --> 00:11:22.379 not going to get in page 38, you know, it's like 00:11:22.379 --> 00:11:26.120 right on. So it's that type of building with 00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:28.840 community that has always been the spirit of 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:30.879 these courses. And that's what we have in our 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:32.960 social work, minor and juvenile justice, which 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:36.759 has been well received in our campus community 00:11:36.759 --> 00:11:39.279 overall. And I'm just thankful for the leadership 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:43.539 at USC to allow me to continue to flourish in 00:11:43.539 --> 00:11:48.179 that area with these courses. Excellent. Robert, 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:50.620 you have been paving the way for a long time, 00:11:50.659 --> 00:11:54.460 my brother. And I see you as an honorary practicum 00:11:54.460 --> 00:11:57.679 faculty as well, because you are in the streets. 00:11:57.820 --> 00:12:00.100 You're on the ground. It's not just about the 00:12:00.100 --> 00:12:03.480 textbook. And I just really love how you inspire 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:06.100 not just the students, but the community. So 00:12:06.100 --> 00:12:08.679 they always show up. When they say Dr. Hernandez 00:12:08.679 --> 00:12:11.399 is in the house, they always show up. So I just 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:13.740 really want to. Give a shout out to you on that 00:12:13.740 --> 00:12:17.840 one. And Angela, you obviously you work in the 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:20.399 community. You work with the Girls Empowerment 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:23.799 Network in Austin. Can you tell us what they 00:12:23.799 --> 00:12:27.379 do? How the organization is positively impacting 00:12:27.379 --> 00:12:30.529 youth in your community? Absolutely. So I'm going 00:12:30.529 --> 00:12:34.210 to do a little bit of a spiel here. So Girls 00:12:34.210 --> 00:12:37.129 Empowerment Network offers a self -efficacy building 00:12:37.129 --> 00:12:40.090 program to girls in third through 12th grade 00:12:40.090 --> 00:12:44.350 at schools, conferences, and at camps. We believe 00:12:44.350 --> 00:12:47.570 that all girls and really all youth are inherently 00:12:47.570 --> 00:12:49.669 powerful. And through our program, we hope that 00:12:49.669 --> 00:12:52.429 they can see it for themselves as well. We've 00:12:52.429 --> 00:12:56.120 got our seven C's of self -efficacy, which If 00:12:56.120 --> 00:12:59.139 you count with me, they are collaboration, communication, 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:02.100 critical thinking, coping skills, creativity, 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:04.679 confidence, and the last one is change -making. 00:13:05.019 --> 00:13:08.179 We format our program as closed groups because 00:13:08.179 --> 00:13:11.039 we know the value and the power of peer relationships 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:13.919 and peer -led learning. We have a proprietary 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:17.240 curriculum called Radiant G that centers the 00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:20.240 seven Cs as skills that are needed to develop 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:23.559 and strengthen one's self -efficacy, which is 00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:26.190 the belief in one's capacity. to accomplish what 00:13:26.190 --> 00:13:28.710 they set their mind to. And if this sounds familiar, 00:13:28.870 --> 00:13:31.370 it's because it's a concept developed by Albert 00:13:31.370 --> 00:13:34.370 Bandura. So that's what we do. And I can tell 00:13:34.370 --> 00:13:37.169 you a little bit more about the juvenile justice 00:13:37.169 --> 00:13:39.070 program that I was running, but I'll hold that 00:13:39.070 --> 00:13:42.129 for a bit. Yeah. Well, thank you, Angela and 00:13:42.129 --> 00:13:44.090 Robert. I mean, obviously, if you know more about 00:13:44.090 --> 00:13:46.769 this too, please jump in. But Angela, can you 00:13:46.769 --> 00:13:49.470 help expand a little bit? How do young people 00:13:49.470 --> 00:13:52.090 get referred to this program? Are they voluntary? 00:13:52.210 --> 00:13:54.169 Are they mandated clients? How are they referred 00:13:54.169 --> 00:13:56.860 to your program? So if it's happening in a public 00:13:56.860 --> 00:13:59.580 school, typically they are referred to the program 00:13:59.580 --> 00:14:02.500 by the school social worker on campus, by a school 00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:04.659 counselor. We call these people to our school 00:14:04.659 --> 00:14:06.799 champions because they're really championing 00:14:06.799 --> 00:14:09.679 the program at their specific campus. Even if 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:12.240 they are referred to the program, they're not 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:15.200 required to stay. So we've had a number of girls 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:17.220 who are like, this is actually not for me. I'm 00:14:17.220 --> 00:14:20.100 not feeling it. And we let them know, Hey, as 00:14:20.100 --> 00:14:23.509 much as we love to have you here, you don't have 00:14:23.509 --> 00:14:26.710 to stay. And I've actually had experiences where 00:14:26.710 --> 00:14:28.570 by letting them know like, hey, you don't have 00:14:28.570 --> 00:14:30.929 to stay here. They're like, actually, maybe, 00:14:31.190 --> 00:14:34.429 maybe I will. Actually, maybe I'll come back. 00:14:34.750 --> 00:14:36.450 Or they see that their friends are having a really 00:14:36.450 --> 00:14:38.450 great time. And they're like, maybe I'll give 00:14:38.450 --> 00:14:40.950 it another shot. And we're like, absolutely open 00:14:40.950 --> 00:14:44.679 door always. So there's that. When I was facilitating 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:46.860 these groups inside correctional facilities, 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:49.600 all of them were referral based, but the same 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:52.159 thing. I also had girls who were like, I'm not 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:54.559 feeling this, this space is not for me. And I 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:58.289 was like, You can totally go back to, well, unfortunately 00:14:58.289 --> 00:15:01.389 it was their pods, but it was never like they're 00:15:01.389 --> 00:15:03.429 required to stay. I would never force anyone 00:15:03.429 --> 00:15:06.090 to do something against their will. Yeah. Excellent. 00:15:06.169 --> 00:15:08.529 I'm so happy to hear you say that because obviously 00:15:08.529 --> 00:15:11.649 what we know is that when young people feel like 00:15:11.649 --> 00:15:14.759 they have the power. They will own it and they 00:15:14.759 --> 00:15:16.840 will take it to the whole another level, right? 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:19.779 So we need to empower our young people. Thank 00:15:19.779 --> 00:15:22.419 you, Angela. That's so exciting. You know, obviously 00:15:22.419 --> 00:15:24.860 there's so much that we can talk about and Robert, 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:27.980 obviously you have lots of experiences with those 00:15:27.980 --> 00:15:30.639 community partners that do similar work, right? 00:15:30.899 --> 00:15:35.129 So Robert, I know you have spearheaded. the creation 00:15:35.129 --> 00:15:37.830 of the social work and juvenile justice undergraduate 00:15:37.830 --> 00:15:40.889 minor at USC, which is one of the first such 00:15:40.889 --> 00:15:43.350 programs in the nation. So congratulations on 00:15:43.350 --> 00:15:47.490 that. Recently, you were awarded a multimillion 00:15:47.490 --> 00:15:51.070 dollar grant by the California State Office of 00:15:51.070 --> 00:15:54.929 Youth and Community Restoration to spearhead 00:15:54.929 --> 00:15:58.490 a workforce development initiative geared towards 00:15:58.490 --> 00:16:01.830 undergraduates with the hopes that of creating 00:16:01.830 --> 00:16:05.200 maybe a career path. So again, congratulations 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:08.320 on the grant. Can you tell us more about that 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:10.919 grant and what that new initiative will look 00:16:10.919 --> 00:16:13.360 like? Yes, once again, I have to give credence 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:16.159 to those who've championed these efforts because 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:19.240 I've come under their shadows. I want to mention 00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:21.720 Dr. McCroskey, who has been a champion in her 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:24.500 own right. You know, with the whole child welfare, 00:16:24.700 --> 00:16:27.899 she is the child welfare guru. of Alley County 00:16:27.899 --> 00:16:31.139 and also our own very own Dr. Wendy Smith who 00:16:31.139 --> 00:16:34.580 has before their crimes the book that recently 00:16:34.580 --> 00:16:37.480 we hit which is actually being used in one of 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:42.120 our courses in the minor. So with Dr. Smith her 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:47.000 recent book as well as Dr. McCroskey and their 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:49.379 support throughout the years, we were able to 00:16:49.379 --> 00:16:51.299 uplift the social minor and juvenile justice. 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:54.899 And I would say in 2019, really briefly, Governor 00:16:54.899 --> 00:16:58.700 Newsom motioned to take delinquency out of probation, 00:16:58.940 --> 00:17:01.379 put it into health and human services. And in 00:17:01.379 --> 00:17:04.240 that move, he was shutting down all the three 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:06.940 youth prisons in the state of California. all 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:09.119 the counties had to prepare through senate bill 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:11.700 823 they developed the office of youth and community 00:17:11.700 --> 00:17:15.059 restoration to prepare for that and with that 00:17:15.059 --> 00:17:18.160 the office was like we need to create a pathway 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:22.500 of interested students bachelor's level as a 00:17:22.500 --> 00:17:25.720 workforce to get into the juvenile justice arena 00:17:25.720 --> 00:17:29.740 so they wanted to look at schools of social work 00:17:29.740 --> 00:17:32.059 because keep in mind juvenile justice is not 00:17:32.059 --> 00:17:35.180 a new topic but it is when it comes to looking 00:17:35.180 --> 00:17:38.299 at it from a social work understanding, which 00:17:38.299 --> 00:17:40.819 is the way they want to go, right? So they looked 00:17:40.819 --> 00:17:43.920 at statewide, all the schools, no one had an 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:46.059 emphasis in juvenile justice. They looked at 00:17:46.059 --> 00:17:49.980 all the UCs, no schools had an emphasis in juvenile 00:17:49.980 --> 00:17:52.339 justice. The only one that kept them coming up 00:17:52.339 --> 00:17:55.700 is ours, our USC Suzanne Dork Pegg School of 00:17:55.700 --> 00:18:00.180 Social Work, juvenile justice minor. So we ended 00:18:00.180 --> 00:18:03.839 up being able to apply for a grant. we were awarded 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:08.440 and that grant really incentivizes students with 00:18:08.440 --> 00:18:15.099 the $40 ,000 stipend to pay for the entire minor, 00:18:15.160 --> 00:18:19.180 but it adds a practicum component as well as 00:18:19.180 --> 00:18:25.059 extra seminars to really get them into and thinking 00:18:25.059 --> 00:18:28.279 about working in the juvenile justice arena. 00:18:28.660 --> 00:18:32.049 So we have pre -law students, we have psychology 00:18:32.049 --> 00:18:34.549 students, behavioral health sciences, sociology, 00:18:35.150 --> 00:18:38.130 social work students, even our own new bachelor's 00:18:38.130 --> 00:18:40.130 in social work program that's coming up that 00:18:40.130 --> 00:18:44.230 could all qualify but it incentivizes them to 00:18:44.230 --> 00:18:47.230 go into this juvenile justice arena and really 00:18:47.230 --> 00:18:50.329 start to build advocates and we also position 00:18:50.329 --> 00:18:53.529 them to become wellness coaches one or two if 00:18:53.529 --> 00:18:55.809 they would like to pursue that down the line 00:18:55.809 --> 00:18:58.109 which is actually the route that they're going. 00:18:58.279 --> 00:19:01.220 point today where it's less clinical but it's 00:19:01.220 --> 00:19:04.759 more social emotional support more about mentorship 00:19:04.759 --> 00:19:07.420 and being able to work with these youth that 00:19:07.420 --> 00:19:10.180 are susceptible to the carceral system gangs 00:19:10.180 --> 00:19:14.019 and whatnot so it's very exciting this is the 00:19:14.019 --> 00:19:17.299 first of its kind and we're hoping to really 00:19:17.299 --> 00:19:20.279 influence change not just locally but nationwide 00:19:20.680 --> 00:19:23.440 Excellent. Wow. Thank you so much, Robert, for 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:27.279 that really innovative work because it has been 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:30.680 on the forefront of our minds about all the different 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:34.779 juvenile justice programs closing down. Also, 00:19:35.019 --> 00:19:38.279 so Angela, I really like to just kind of explore 00:19:38.279 --> 00:19:41.259 in your work with the Girls Empowerment Network 00:19:41.259 --> 00:19:45.119 that you are responsible for bringing self -efficacy 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:48.059 curriculum to girls and gender expansive youth 00:19:48.059 --> 00:19:51.519 impacted by incarceration. Can you tell us more 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:54.269 about that program and its impact? Yeah, I'd 00:19:54.269 --> 00:19:57.750 love to. So I already gave a spiel about our 00:19:57.750 --> 00:20:00.349 radiology programming and curriculum. So I was 00:20:00.349 --> 00:20:03.029 bringing that directly to girls impacted by the 00:20:03.029 --> 00:20:05.529 juvenile justice system. We received a federal 00:20:05.529 --> 00:20:07.809 grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and 00:20:07.809 --> 00:20:09.849 Delinquency Prevention through the Department 00:20:09.849 --> 00:20:13.910 of Justice in 2022. And over the course of the 00:20:13.910 --> 00:20:16.430 few years of the pilot, I'm going to brag a whole 00:20:16.430 --> 00:20:20.009 lot here. We delivered our program at six different 00:20:20.009 --> 00:20:23.130 service sites, including one correctional facility. 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:26.539 otherwise a youth prison, two detention centers, 00:20:26.779 --> 00:20:29.519 three DAPs, and one alternative high school. 00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:34.779 We facilitated about 120 sessions totaling around 00:20:34.779 --> 00:20:38.680 800 hours of direct service to around 200 girls. 00:20:39.079 --> 00:20:43.579 And we also educated and engaged with about 50 00:20:43.579 --> 00:20:46.319 staff and facility members. And I'd love to share 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:49.039 a few quotes from the girls who experienced our 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:52.170 program. One girl said, I feel safe in group 00:20:52.170 --> 00:20:54.049 because y 'all don't trip about what I have to 00:20:54.049 --> 00:20:57.099 say and that's because I practice relational 00:20:57.099 --> 00:21:01.019 facilitation and that's really, I believe in 00:21:01.019 --> 00:21:04.099 moving at the speed of trust. And when people 00:21:04.099 --> 00:21:06.480 are allowed to make their own decisions, trust 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:09.299 is, is a lot easier to come by. And trust is 00:21:09.299 --> 00:21:12.180 a huge thing for people who are impacted by the 00:21:12.180 --> 00:21:14.240 juvenile justice system. It's really hard to 00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:17.140 come by. So I'm well aware of that. And so when 00:21:17.140 --> 00:21:19.940 I come into the room, I'm like, you can say whatever 00:21:19.940 --> 00:21:22.519 you want. You can sit however you want. You can 00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:25.819 sit wherever you want. You can. do whatever you 00:21:25.819 --> 00:21:28.779 want. The only sort of line that we draw there 00:21:28.779 --> 00:21:31.640 is like respect is a non -negotiable, right? 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:36.000 Like so long as we're using our words in respectful 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:38.380 ways, I really don't care what comes flying out 00:21:38.380 --> 00:21:42.099 of there. So that's like already a huge thing 00:21:42.099 --> 00:21:44.759 when considering the conditions of correctional 00:21:44.759 --> 00:21:47.980 facility. Another participant who's self -identified 00:21:47.980 --> 00:21:51.369 as a not a people person ended up volunteering 00:21:51.369 --> 00:21:55.670 to lead our weekly opening ritual. And she said 00:21:55.670 --> 00:21:58.369 herself that she was coming out of her shell. 00:21:58.710 --> 00:22:00.849 And the facility staff were like, this is a girl 00:22:00.849 --> 00:22:03.690 who like rarely ever talks to anyone. And yet 00:22:03.690 --> 00:22:06.089 we're seeing her open up in groups, which was 00:22:06.089 --> 00:22:09.190 like phenomenal. And then another girl said that 00:22:09.190 --> 00:22:11.490 this group shows me that I actually can stick 00:22:11.490 --> 00:22:13.569 to something that I don't have to be a quitter. 00:22:14.259 --> 00:22:17.000 And we know that this program holds long term 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:19.160 effect because at the correctional facility, 00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:21.980 we were able to conduct our 1st, long term evaluation 00:22:21.980 --> 00:22:25.059 where we saw lasting effects. And improvements 00:22:25.059 --> 00:22:28.059 in peer relationships, emotional regulation and 00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:31.299 coping skills. But given all the changes that 00:22:31.299 --> 00:22:34.359 have happened because of our. current administration. 00:22:34.960 --> 00:22:38.539 We lost access to the partnerships that we established, 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:40.859 and we couldn't find a way to sustain the program 00:22:40.859 --> 00:22:43.700 beyond the pilot, since grants for this population 00:22:43.700 --> 00:22:46.579 have dried up, especially here in Texas. So we 00:22:46.579 --> 00:22:49.380 had to sunset the program last fall. Nevertheless, 00:22:49.380 --> 00:22:52.119 I feel very, very proud of what we were able 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:55.140 to accomplish. Wow. Thank you, Angela. So sorry 00:22:55.140 --> 00:22:57.240 to hear that, but it sounds like you really made 00:22:57.240 --> 00:22:59.980 an impact with the young people during the time 00:22:59.980 --> 00:23:03.079 that you had them. And I love the quote, moving 00:23:03.079 --> 00:23:08.240 at the speed of trust. So, so excellent. That's 00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:10.680 from Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Marie Brown. 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:13.660 10 out of 10 do recommend. It's required reading. 00:23:14.140 --> 00:23:16.480 Right on. I've got to get on that. Appreciate 00:23:16.480 --> 00:23:21.029 it. So as we begin to wrap up, I'd really like 00:23:21.029 --> 00:23:24.690 to close by asking you both if there's anything 00:23:24.690 --> 00:23:27.690 else that we haven't covered that you really 00:23:27.690 --> 00:23:30.069 want our listeners to know about these issues 00:23:30.069 --> 00:23:33.430 around juvenile justice. I'll start with Robert 00:23:33.430 --> 00:23:37.109 and then I'll ask Angela to bring us home. I 00:23:37.109 --> 00:23:40.329 would just say please, I'd urge those who are 00:23:40.329 --> 00:23:46.750 listening to be vigilant and stay engaged. Our 00:23:46.750 --> 00:23:50.289 youth need us more than ever before. I facilitate 00:23:50.289 --> 00:23:52.250 a Tri -County Collaborative Community Safety 00:23:52.250 --> 00:23:56.250 Conference. In one of our recent meetings, the 00:23:56.250 --> 00:23:58.970 elders who are working with youth who are in 00:23:58.970 --> 00:24:01.369 least restrictive programs, they're step -down 00:24:01.369 --> 00:24:04.910 programs, reintegrating into society, they feel 00:24:04.910 --> 00:24:08.609 really unsafe right now. And they feel very confused. 00:24:09.750 --> 00:24:13.910 And they're working with them to attempt to support 00:24:13.910 --> 00:24:18.990 them to... find another way to be very engaged 00:24:18.990 --> 00:24:23.089 in society but right now our youth feel very 00:24:23.089 --> 00:24:25.849 scared and confused with everything that's going 00:24:25.849 --> 00:24:29.150 on so please stay focused please stay vigilant 00:24:29.150 --> 00:24:32.410 stay informed and just know we need you more 00:24:32.410 --> 00:24:37.069 than ever before especially for the forgotten 00:24:37.069 --> 00:24:41.369 voices that usually go you know overseen overlooked 00:24:41.630 --> 00:24:43.849 So thank you. Thank you for this opportunity 00:24:43.849 --> 00:24:47.490 for letting us both share. Thank you. Gosh, thank 00:24:47.490 --> 00:24:51.109 you, Robert. Words of wisdom for sure. Our young 00:24:51.109 --> 00:24:54.170 people are struggling. Angela, please, any final 00:24:54.170 --> 00:24:57.799 thoughts for our listeners? Yes, I'd like to 00:24:57.799 --> 00:25:00.599 add that even though our juvenile justice program 00:25:00.599 --> 00:25:03.440 has sunsetted, the work hasn't stopped altogether. 00:25:03.900 --> 00:25:06.119 The Girls Empowerment Network is up against some 00:25:06.119 --> 00:25:08.339 particular challenges here in Texas with the 00:25:08.339 --> 00:25:11.519 passing of Senate Bill 12, which is a parents' 00:25:11.740 --> 00:25:15.339 bill of rights law that restricts DEI initiatives 00:25:15.339 --> 00:25:19.690 in public schools. we are a DEI organization. 00:25:20.349 --> 00:25:22.670 So access to youth is becoming more and more 00:25:22.670 --> 00:25:25.390 limited as we experience an increasing chilling 00:25:25.390 --> 00:25:28.349 effect in public schools. That said, I wanted 00:25:28.349 --> 00:25:30.289 to mention that we're working with You Think 00:25:30.289 --> 00:25:32.569 Innovation Hub through Children's Hospital of 00:25:32.569 --> 00:25:36.150 LA to find a way to offer community -based programming 00:25:36.150 --> 00:25:38.809 while centering youth with carceral experiences. 00:25:39.130 --> 00:25:42.630 Through this Design Thinking Project, we're trying 00:25:42.630 --> 00:25:46.250 to solve the problem of making meaningful programming 00:25:46.250 --> 00:25:48.769 as accessible is possible to youth with carceral 00:25:48.769 --> 00:25:51.490 experiences because we know that when we center 00:25:51.490 --> 00:25:54.829 the most marginalized people, everyone else benefits 00:25:54.829 --> 00:25:56.950 from there. What we're learning from the youth 00:25:56.950 --> 00:25:59.609 we're working with has been really uplifting. 00:26:00.430 --> 00:26:02.329 I have faith that we'll be able to figure this 00:26:02.329 --> 00:26:05.309 out and offer our findings to peer organizations. 00:26:05.509 --> 00:26:08.230 So I guess look out for that. And then I also 00:26:08.230 --> 00:26:10.970 wanted to say shout out to USC alum Alejandra 00:26:10.970 --> 00:26:14.549 Cortes, who is at the social changer on Instagram 00:26:14.549 --> 00:26:16.799 for sharing the opportunity. because otherwise 00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:19.700 I wouldn't have known about it. So I wanted to 00:26:19.700 --> 00:26:22.759 say that. Right on. Thank you so much, Angela. 00:26:23.299 --> 00:26:26.420 And thank you, Robert, for joining us for a great 00:26:26.420 --> 00:26:29.559 discussion today. If you would want to learn 00:26:29.559 --> 00:26:32.359 more about our USC School of Social Work and 00:26:32.359 --> 00:26:36.240 our juvenile justice programs, please visit dworakpeck.usc.edu. 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:40.619 If you would like to network with 00:26:40.619 --> 00:26:43.859 our guests regarding their work, or want to support 00:26:43.859 --> 00:26:47.339 our transformative research and programs, please 00:26:47.339 --> 00:26:52.359 email us at listenuppeople@usc.edu.