OJA Partners with White Fields Creating A Home-Like Program Setting for Youth
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 re-mediate 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 you that 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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