01 Sep YOC Receives National Community Based Facility Award

The Council for Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA) named the Youth Opportunity Center (YOC) a national finalist for the Barbara Allen-Hagen Award at its 20th annual awards ceremony, August 14, 2015, Indianapolis, Ind.

The YOC was recognized in the Community Based Residential Programs category along with South Hadley Girls Treatment Program, South Hadley, MA, and White’s Residential and Family Services, Wabash, IN.

The Barbara Allen-Hagen Award recognizes facilities for young offenders that best exemplify commitment to treating all youths in custody as one of our own. The finalists were selected from about 40 high-quality applications from across the country.

Paula Anderson, YOC Director of Compliance, explains that buy-in from staff is key: “We feel that one of the keys to this success is that we have obtained buy-in from everyone in the organization. From our CEO, Rick Rowray, and Board of Directors to our Direct Care Staff, everyone seems to understand that safety is a top priority.  As a result, we have received tremendous support in the development and implementation of our Facility Improvement Plan.”

This is the second national award the YOC has received from the CJCA!  November 4, 2014, the YOC’s Juvenile Detention Center received the 2014 Barbara Allen-Hagen Award for detention facilities, proving the YOC is a national leader in providing the highest quality care for the children and families it serves.

For more information on placement services or supporting the mission of the YOC, please contact Polly Craig, YOC Foundation Executive Director, pcraig@yocinc.org.