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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Creating A Home-Like Program Setting for Youth
OKLAHOMA CITY, September 30, 2018— The Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) has
entered into a contract with White Fields to create a group care, home-like
setting for Oklahoma youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Using
a houseparent model, White Fields provides innovative treatment services
designed to remediate anti-social behavior, foster education, vocational
readiness and life skills.
Tom Ward, Chairman and CEO of Mach
Resources and co-founder of White Fields, is pleased to leverage their campus
and experience to continue helping kids in need. “We are grateful to have partnered with DHS
over the past 15 years to bring hope and healing to many of the state’s most abused
and neglected boys. We look forward to
working with the state again, through the Office of Juvenile Affairs, to
provide intervention, treatment, career readiness and love to adolescents in
their care.”
The White Fields continuum of care model is
unique to juvenile justice programs in Oklahoma. One program unique to
White Fields will be its mentoring program. Each youth will have group or
individual support in tutoring, counseling and independence skills training.
These established connections will continue as they reintegrate into their
communities and maneuver towards job and educational opportunities.
OJA Executive Director Steven Buck has
great hope for the success of the partnership. “White Fields and their campus are
an incredible asset to Oklahoma. Their track record of service and investment
in young people is commendable. OJA is eager to start this partnership and make
significant strides in our efforts to facilitate development of engaged,
responsible adults through approaches that are responsive to the Oklahoma
taxpayer.”
This part of the campus contains two
separate six-bed units. Each youth will have their own bedroom and bath
areas. OJA anticipates placing youth at the facility on
October 15th. Subsequent contracts anticipate including group home
services offered on the campus that extends the continuum of care. This is
one of many new steps in the creative and innovative program approaches OJA is
undertaking to significantly change the trajectory of Oklahoma's juvenile
justice involved youth.
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For additional information, contact:
Paula Christiansen/ OJA Public Information Officer
at (405) 530-2814 or,
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