Specialized Information and Referral

The agency provides youth services for at-risk youth ages 7 to 21, and their families who live in the Centinela Valley area. Services include alternative dispute resolution, family preservation programs, juvenile delinquency diversion counseling, juvenile delinquency prevention, mediation and specialized information and referral. Age restrictions apply; most services are restricted to residents of Athens, Carson, Florence, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale and Lennox. There are no geographic restrictions for the Victim Offender Mediation program.

The Victim Offender Mediation Program provides facilitated mediations between victims of crime and youth offenders. Offenses may include vandalism, theft, assault, shoplifting and other non-weapon related crimes. The program links youth with community agencies to help relieve the juvenile justice system and provides restitution for victims and works.

The Family Mediation program assists youth and their parents/guardians to de-escalate conflicts related to curfew, chores, grades, trust and communication in a safe environment.

The Students Able to Resolve Situations (STARS) program provides school-based peer mediation for the entire school community. The goal is to reduce incidents of violence and suspension and to create a more peaceful environment. It also includes Restorative Dialogues, used by schools to help detention students regain full status and reduce suspension recidivism by empowering youth to think critically about their decision process.

Restorative justice centers help divert high-risk youth from the juvenile justice system into community-based services to break the cycle of delinquent and criminal behavior. Referrals for this program are received by the Probation department and various juvenile courthouses in south Los Angeles.