BUILD's Intervention Specialists work on the front lines to diffuse neighborhood conflicts, mentor youth away from gangs and help them overcome histories of violence, trauma, and incarceration. By offering both individualized as well as community-based programming, BUILD opens doors for at-risk youth, empowering them to take charge of their lives, futures, and communities.

Cook County Southland Juvenile Justice Council partners with the South Cook Intermediate Service Center to address the chronic absenteeism/truancy that is plaguing South Suburban Cook County. The partnership consisted of creating, implementing, and/or enhancing tools, trends, and processes utilized by school districts to reduce their numbers while engaging youth and their families holistically while providing any wraparound services and supports that would assist youth to return to school.

Provides guidance and assistance to prevent school absence and dropout for those at risk of expulsion, and economic, behavioral, and educational support to help students maintain their normal school curriculum and schedule. Programs include: - Attendance Improvement Matters (AIM): Provide direct services to students that will assist them in overcoming economic barriers that interfere with school attendance. - Bridges program: A full time educational option for truant students who wish to catch up to grade level or retrieve credits missed because of poor school attendance.

Works with the schools and other agencies to help parents resolve issues related to truancy in order to avoid having to appear to Court. Offers alternative program providing educational programming to those students who have been expelled and are in need of educational alternatives.

Alternative schooling for students, including the following programs: - Regional Safe Schools Program (RSSP): For students with behavioral issues. - Alternative Learning Opportunities Program (ALOP): Alternative learning setting for students who need more intensive academic/social/emotional intervention.

Truants' Alternative Program (TAP) offers attendance and truancy prevention and intervention services. Provides students in grades K-12 with services designed to improve attendance and build self-esteem, academics, and life skills. Also offers Credit Recovery to all districts in the coverage area and it is provided via on-line instruction. Students who have failed courses required for graduation, can be referred to TAP for Credit Recovery, contact school's guidance counselor. Services provided by Truancy Specialists: - Make contact via letter or phone call to discuss attendance concerns with parent(s)/guardian(s). - Home visits. - One-on-one informal attendance counseling between Truancy Specialist and student. - Work as a liaison between student and family and school district. - Link students and families to local area social service as needed.

Coordinates an ongoing program to assist the region’s schools in requiring good school attendance. The Truant Officer works with schools and parents to intervene early and resolve school attendance problems. Partnerships formed among the Regional Office, the McHenry County State’s Attorney, and McHenry County Court Services have served the community well in resolution of school attendance issues.

Provides and coordinates services for students who are experiencing attendance problems. Program offers a variety of prevention and intervention services. These services include: - Attendance incentives. - Student advocacy. - Case management. - Home visits. - School visits. - Referral to agencies for counseling. - Technical assistance to individual school districts and the community. These services are provided based on the needs of individual students, parents, and schools, and are used in designing an individualized service plan for each student. Attendance specialists coordinate program services with school and community services to provide each student with a successful educational plan.

Serves as intermediary agency between the Illinois State Board of Education and the local school districts in the region. Provides educational services to school districts, including: - Technical support - Registration of teaching certificates - Inspection of school buildings - Truancy prevention - School bus driver training - Professional development - GED administration - Home schooling Note: Due to the Coronavirus response period, the office is open for appointments only.

Intervention/prevention services to students at-risk of dropping out of school. Services include assessment, referrals to outside agencies, mentoring, and case management.

Truancy Program - Assists schools and families with services to ensure children age 6-17 attend school and helps eliminate any obstacles that are preventing this. Homeless Coordination - The local homeless education liaison works with homeless children to ensure: - A free, appropriate public education including a priority to preschool programs. - The choice of staying in the school of origin or attending the school nearest their shelter or temporary home. - Immediate enrollment even when medical records cannot be produced at time of enrollment. - Assistance with transportation, if needed. - Help families with supply needs (i.e., personal hygiene products, undergarments, school supplies, PE clothes, alarm clocks).

Provides treatment for issues surrounding truancy. Agency, school personnel, and other community providers work with the student and family to reduce missed school days. Interventions include letters, phone calls, home visits, counseling, and wraparound services.

BUILD's Intervention Specialists work on the front lines to diffuse neighborhood conflicts, mentor youth away from gangs and help them overcome histories of violence, trauma, and incarceration. By offering both individualized as well as community-based programming, BUILD opens doors for at-risk youth, empowering them to take charge of their lives, futures, and communities.

The focus of PACT is to aid students and their families in re-establishing regular attendance, normal school habits, and academic success.

Assists schools with services for students in an effort to reduce absenteeism and school failure. The student attendance support program provides a means for improving student attendance and attitudes, works with area administrators and educators regarding at-risk youth, and works cooperatively to ensure student success and reduce student dropout rates throughout district schools.

Ambassadors are trauma-informed trainers who engage the community in conversations about trauma and mental health to destigmatize, inform, and empower the community to seek out help. Additionally, community ambassadors are part of BSCO's community crisis response and are available to provide individualized trauma series groups to help jump-start the grieving and healing process.