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(800) 894-7201
Love and PESA in the Time of Covid19
The Coronavirus pandemic continues to profoundly impact our social fabric, but the devoted staff and volunteers of PESA are meeting the challenges in innovative ways, all with a goal of maintaining and even improving its core mission: To provide educational and mental-health services to our community’s diverted youth.
 
In January as the crisis was beginning to unfold, PESA quickly retooled to provide the services it offers through its Juvenile Diversion Programs via HIPPA-compliant telecommunications. By working from home and exercising proper social distancing as mandated, PESA social workers and staff have been able to provide counseling, therapy and other services just as before, but without risking the health of staffers or youth clients.
 
We are pleased to report two unexpected yet very positive benefits of this challenging situation. First, PESA social-worker staff have seen that in many instances, the participating youth are even more forthcoming in their communications, apparently because they feel more relaxed when interacting from the comfort of their homes. And second, the critical need for educational tutoring services of diverted youth has resulted in a groundswell of participation by the Teen Court Alumni Association and other college students involved with PESA who have readily agreed to assist through HIPPA-compliant telecommunications.
 
Another important service PESA provides is sponsorship of Teen Court Clubs at participating high schools, and again, that effort continues unabated through the adaptive use of telecommunications that accommodate up to 100 participants and can be expanded as needed to 500. This allows students to continue meeting and interacting with each other, maintaining badly needed social interaction, while exercising proper social distancing. 
 
Even as other entities are cutting back on services, PESA is expanding ours with the launch of an online career fair with live interactive presentations by professionals from diverse backgrounds. The purpose is to provide attendees a roadmap to pursuing a career in a variety of professions. These weekly sessions are available to all high school students involved with Teen Court. 
 
On the subject of employment, PESA is doing everything in its power to avoid layoffs during this critical time of need. As a mental-health provider, PESA is considered an essential service, and we believe counseling and outreach must be provided, especially to those who might feel the strains of social isolation. By continuing our mission, we not only support the diverted youth, but keep staff gainfully employed, a win-win for the community.
Did You Know ...
The concept of creative restitution , a precursor to restorative justice , was developed by psychologist Dr. Albert Eglash in the 1950s as an alternative to what he felt was an overly harsh and ineffective criminal justice system. In creative restitution, said Eglash, “an offender, under appropriate supervision, is helped to find some way to make amends to those he has hurt by his offense, and to ‘walk a second mile’ by helping other offenders.”

PESA IS A NON-PROFIT HELPING THE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY
 
Through its juvenile diversion programs, Parents, Educators/Teachers & Students in Action (PESA) is a vital community based organization (CBO) providing needed services to the community. By accepting youth referrals from law enforcement and educational institutions, PESA is able to transform participants in its diversion programs into respectful members of the community no longer engaging in inappropriate behavior.

Because of the quality of services PESA provides, the Superior Court of the County of Los Angeles has made it the exclusive CBO of the Teen Court program. PESA also receives referrals from the JOIN program of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office as well as multiple law-enforcement agencies and educational institutions throughout Los Angeles County.

PESA transforms diverted youth through advocacy, mentorship and education. With its staff of social workers and other knowledgeable professionals, PESA creates an intensive case-management plan that provides services the diverted youth needs to enhance their strengths and become proud of themselves. Through the use of assessments and personal interviews, PESA is able to acquire the information necessary to determine what services individuals need. Then, PESA creates a team led by a social worker to provide those services to the youth and their family.

PESA has developed a wide range of partnerships that enhance the services it is able to provide. Because of the reputation PESA has built within the community, prestigious Universities such as USC, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton, Azusa Pacific University and Cal State Northridge have placed their graduate social worker students into internships with PESA where they work with and learn from our knowledgeable professionals. We also serve the community by sponsoring school clubs on high school and college campuses and mentoring club members.

These are just some of the services PESA provides to the community. To learn more, please visit www.pesaforbetterschools.org . PESA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
18017 Chatsworth Street,
Suite 337
Granada Hills, CA. 91344
 Phone: (800) 894-7201

Offices throughout Los Angeles County providing services in all regions of the county.