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Step-Up Program
Step-Up believes that respect is the heart of all healthy family relationships. Step-Up's goal is to stop youth violence toward family members and move from abuse to respect.
Violent behavior includes:
- Threats
- Intimidation
- Property destruction
- Degrading language
- Physical violence
The program teaches how to resolve conflict and handle parent–teen problems without abuse or violence. Parents or caregivers and youth learn together in a group setting with other families.
Families learn these skills in Step-Up:
- Non-threatening behavior
- Being trustworthy
- Communicating respectfully
- Problem solving
- Being accountable to the family
- Choosing to stay non-violent
What we do
We are part of the Family Intervention and Restorative Services (FIRS) team.
Our services include:
- Step-Up skills-based and restorative practice groups
Together, parents and teens learn and practice skills for respectful communication and problem solving in 3 groups:- Teens and parents both come to group once a week for 90 minutes.
- Teens work in a youth group and learn skills to prevent the use of violent behavior and gain understanding about violence, abuse and power vs. respect, trust and safety in family relationships.
- Parents work in a parent group where they learn safety planning and parenting skills to support their youth.
- In parent/teen group, families learn a respectful family model for addressing conflict together.
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Family violence assessments
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Safety planning
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Community education about adolescent domestic violence with family members
Who can use the program
You may self-refer your family to this program by contacting us. You can also be referred by:
- Community agencies, counselors, schools or other helping professionals
- Juvenile Court staff or programs, including Family Intervention and Restorative Services (FIRS), probation counselors, judges, At-Risk-Youth program, Family Court, attorneys, and other programs serving youth
- Police officers responding to calls for help when a youth is violent in the home.
Parents and caregivers attending Step-Up have included:
- Step-parents
- Grandparents
- Aunts and uncles
- Foster and adoptive parents
- Adult siblings or family friends who have been in a caregiver role
Tips to encourage your teen to attend Step-Up
- Tell your teen about the ARY Petition and give the option of not filing an ARY if they participate in Step-Up .
- Ask your teen to “try it out” by coming to 2 or 3 sessions to see how it is. Youth often find out that it is helpful and want to continue.
- Let your teen know that going to Step-Up will help prevent a call to the police. For teens who are concerned about police intervention, this can be a motivation to attend.