Running head: AGENCY REPORT 1

Agency Report
Geveda M.A. Robinson
Wilmington University

AGENCY REPORT 2

The Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families is a big state
organization. There are four different divisions that are being represented in this building. The
specific division that I will be writing about is the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Service
(DYRS). Their mission is to help the children get back into society and be productive citizens.
Mission
The Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families (DYRS) mission is to
assist children and their families in making positive changes through services that support child
and public safety, behavioral health and individual, family and community well-being. Its all
about the children being positive and productive citizens again.
Demographic Info
The demographic area consists on Newcastle County, Kent County, and Sussex County.
This will include all of the Delaware State. Also, it includes children from anywhere, but they
have to be sent from the court system. Any child that is court ordered is accepted in the program.
Policies and Procedures
The facility is State operated at a Level IV, which means the clients are about to return
back into their communities. Their policy and procedures are updated on an annual bases and
distributed to the correct workers. The policy consists of staff secure residential treatment
programs designed to address the needs of adolescent female youth and assist them in making
successful transition back into the community.
All staff are required to t assist in providing a structured and safe environment for the
youth. The staff need to provide effective services which includes assessment, treatment and
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transition programs that meet the needs of the females that are committed to the program. They
shall provide services for youth who are likely to require intensive rehabilitative programming
and treatment for substance abuse, mental health, and or violence. Finally the cottage must meet
the basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter, medical and educational service while the
young lady resides in the facility.
Structure
Within this agency the structure consists of six different positions. Starting at the top is
the superintendent who over top of everyone who works at the agency. Also, he or she is in
charge of policy and procedures and running the whole entire agency. Then there is the Assistant
Superintendent who is the Superintendents right hand person. This would mean he or she does
everything for the Superintendent. He makes sure all things are running smoothly and answers
any and all questions that anyone has for the Superintendent.
The program manager informs everyone of what is going on and does the interviews for
the hiring process. He answers to the assistant superintendent and makes sure everyone does
their jobs correctly. Finally he runs all meeting with cottages and informs them of any and all
changes. He or she is over top of the Program Manager, who is in charge of making sure the rest
of the staff are doing their jobs correctly. That individual is in charge of training all new
employees and interns. Including teaching everyone the correct way of doing paperwork and
doing intakes on clients. Also, he or she are the spokesperson when a client goes to court and in
charge of contacting all individuals who are involved in a clients case.
Finally, the actual workers are to make sure the clients are getting their needs and
necessities while in the program. They would make sure the individuals are safe and secure at all
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times. Making sure they are doing what their contracts are feasible and being done as promised
when agreeing to them. The clients are the most important part of the workers responsibility
while on the job. Everything must be done to their best ability to help the clients maintain a
positive outlook so they can return to the community and be productive.
Governance
The governance consists of nine positions. First you have the superintendent who runs
everything. Then you have the assistant superintendent who is the superintendents right hand
person and helps him or her out with everything. The Administrator II does all the work, typing,
filing etc.. For those that need things done, and she makes most of the phone calls concerning
the organization. Program managers run the cottages and all the meetings. They make sure
everyone knows whats going on in the facilities and all the new rules and policies and
procedures.
In the actual cottages you have the shift supervisors who train all new employees and
make sure they have been trained properly. They are in charge of the scheduling and making sure
the cottages are being run appropriately. They are in charge of making sure the cottages have
everything that they are supposed to have for the young ladies. Finally, this individual is
responsible for reaching out to the community to get the young ladies involved in community
services.
Funding
Like most state agencies this agency is funded by the State of Delaware. Also, the
government funds them too with federal grants. They also get monies from the community and
donations from whomever. A majority of the monies come from the State of Delaware, but there
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are grants that are available if applied for by the agency. Quite a few donations come in from
anonymous donors who prefer to go unnoticed to help the children with their needs.
Relationship to other agencies
This agency partners with several outside agencies for the wellbeing of the clients. Any
outside help is a positive look for these ladies and helping them to do better once released.
Working in outside jobs allows them to build their self-esteem and learn how to communicate
with the outside world. Working in other positive environments also shows them the things that
they will have to do in the future to stay out of trouble. Gaining employment will allow them to
make money in a productive way and this shows them what you get when you work honest and
hard for what you want. These outside organizations allows movement other than being confined
in a cottage all day with someone watching over you all the time. More or less it gives them
freedom to do other things besides being institutionalized. Also, it shows them that they not only
have the agencys support but also the community.
Strengths
Some strengths the agency has is they are family oriented. They believe family is the
most important support system in a childs life. If the family is backing a child and is involved in
everything that is being offered then that child probably will not recommit a crime or be
incarcerated again. Support from family, friends and the community will produce a productive
child. Having family involvement is very important in anything when trying to rehabilitate
someone. Support makes a person feel good about themselves knowing their family is backing
them.
Trends
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I feel trends that are happening is they are following other non-profit organizations in
trying to help the ladies. If they started doing other things differently they would have higher
success rates with the ladies not committing crimes again. Coming up with new programs will
help the young ladies learn new things and try doing things from a different aspect. I know that if
they have been incarcerated before they are doing the same things in repetition just in other
facilities.
Challenges
A real big challenge is having a support system other than the agency. Challenges come
in many way to the agency. You have lack of funding. Then there is obligated workers who they
cant rely on. Lastly educating the ladies on how to stay positive and be productive once
released. Funding is granted depending on the amount of ladies in the facility, if there are only a
few ladies in the facility at the time of monies dispersed hopefully there have been lots of
donations from the community to cover the young ladies brought in afterwards. Influencing the
young ladies to do good after release is also a challenge. Most have a state of mind now a days
that they wont get caught doing bad things. They agency struggles to show they young ladies
what the next step is for them. Most girls will offend again simply because of their home
environment and have to do certain things to survive.
Intern Role
My role as an intern is to work in several positions to help manage the organization when
needed. I have been working closely with my supervisor of the agency and we both have been
helping anyone with whatever needs to be done. I am responsible to taking clients to work or
outside appointments. Also run group sessions during group time. Im responsible for writing
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out files on the clients and making sure they have everything that they need while there. There is
all types of jobs for me to do. It is my responsibility to learn everything about the facility and the
organization. I want to be the best administrator possible once I do get into a position like this, so
I want to learn everything that there is to know.
Conclusion
In conclusion this agency is very large. It services at lot of individuals and their families.
Their main priority is help individuals get back into their community and be productive and not
re-offend their crimes. They are family oriented and have good supporters who want help in any
way possible. They know they have to educate and support the ladies so they can be successful
once released.

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Reference:

Camp, K. (2014) interview
Kiser, P. (2012). The Human Services Internship.