Deferred Entry of Judgment (DEOJ) – DEOJ means that you have admitted your charges but once you complete the program satisfactorily, the judge will dismiss your charges, but no sooner than 12 months and no later than 36 months from the date of the referral to the program. The arrest upon which the judgment was deferred shall be deemed to have never occurred and the records in the possession of the juvenile court are sealed.

Eligibility for DEOJ are the following: The minor has not previously been declared to be a ward of the court for the commission of a felony offense, the offense charged is not one of the offenses enumerated in Welfare and Institutions code section 707(b), the minor has not previously been committed to the custody of the Youth Authority now referred to as the Division of Juvenile Justice “DJJ”, the minor’s record does not indicate that probation has ever been revoked without being completed, the minor is at least 14 years of age at the time of the hearing, and, the minor is eligible for probation pursuant to Penal Code section 1203.03. Call our office for further details, due to changes in the law and constant updates.

Sonoma County Juvenile Probation – Must be referred by a law enforcement agency or the court. They make referrals to community based organizations to divert the minor from delinquent activities. It investigates delinquent acts and makes dispositional recommendations to the Superior Court regarding minors. It supervises juvenile offenders in the community and collects restitution for victims of crime. Located at 7425 Rancho Los Guilicos Rd, Santa Rosa (707) 565-6229.

Sonoma County Probation Camp – Must be referred by court. This is a residential, juvenile, correctional treatment program for 16 to 18 year old delinquent males. Located in Forestville, CA. (707) 565-8900.

The Home Treatment Program (HTP) – is a pre-residential alternative with the offender on electronic monitoring, individual counseling, family therapy, work/school, recreation, drug/alcohol services on an individualized plan, while functioning totally in the community. Daily electronic monitoring by staff, and reports from school, employers, etc. are applied for a period of six months with decreasing structure during this time; and completion resulting in termination of Court wardship. Call our office for further details at 707-387-0940.

Project YES (Youth Empowerment Services) – Must be court referred. It is a 16-week program through Circuit Rider Productions that meets at McBride High School at 2943 McBride Lane, Santa Rosa. It provides counseling and support, gang prevention activities, drug and alcohol intervention and prevention. After completion staff will have phone contact with the family and the school to make sure the minors is continuing to follow appropriate behaviors. Circuit Rider Productions is located at 9619 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor (707) 838-6641 ext. 222.

Community Service – Must be referred by Courts, Probation Office or Division. The Volunteer Center Court Referral Program offers placement of services for persons assigned community service hours from court, probation, diversion, or for suspension or expulsion from school. Initial interviews are in Santa Rosa with work sites available throughout the county, follow-up, monitoring and reports on offenders referred to complete community service work. Located at 153 Stony Circle, Ste. 100, Santa Rosa (707) 573-3360. Marin County Juveniles participate in a similar program. Please call our office for further details at 707-387-0940.

Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) Anger Management Classes – Ordered by the court to participate in anger management classes held at Dr. James E. Coffee House. Located at 1243 Ripley Street, Santa Rosa (707) 546-3432.

Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) – This organization provides crisis services, special services to runaway young people and their families and a 24-hour crisis line. An emergency shelter is located onsite. Also provides family counseling services. 3440 Airway Drive, Suite E, Santa Rosa. (707) 544-3299.

The goal of this program is to redirect youth and youthful offenders out of the criminal justice system. Prevention is achieved by providing counseling to change/modify bad behaviors and conduct. Only probation and/or the judge can recommend and refer these services for the youthful offenders.

The goal is to attempt to engage troubled youth through communication that leads to long-lasting solutions with the following programs: the Girls Circle, a one on one counseling alternative; the Boy’s Council, a similar one-on-one counseling program; and the family therapy unit which emphasizes family communication. These skills/counseling options have the purpose of having the youth become accountable after looking at their own bad behaviors that first led them into the juvenile justice system.

Prevention is the mainstay of SAY’S Goals with one of their programs called, “Esperanza” or “hope” in Spanish which deals with gang involved youth. In order to be eligible for the tattoo removal program each participant is expected to pay a fee as low as $50 and then work off the rest doing 25 hours of community service.

Other components of this program are as follows:

1. Job readiness/job preparedness;
2. GED project and completion For high school diploma;
3. Tattoo removal;
4. Community service

Community service serves many well thought out purposes:

1. Helps give youth a feeling of self-worth and belonging;
2. Exposes youth to potential and future employers in the workplace;
3. Helps prepare youth to work in the real world prepare for the challenges of future employment;
4. Helps youth develop new job skills and connections with their community for later Employment.

Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) – Sonoma Valley – Provides counseling, education, prevention, alcohol and drug diversion, and youth and personal development for youth ages 14-21 and their families. Located at 1055 Broadway, Suite C, Sonoma (707) 996-7991.

Drug Court Counseling Program, part of Drug Abuse Alternatives Center (DAAC) – Must be referred by the Sonoma County Drug Court. Counseling for families, youth education and counseling. Located at 2230 Professional Drive, Suite C, Santa Rosa (707) 566-0170.

Dr. James E. Coffee Teen Shelter – Provides emergency shelter for teens from 12-17 years old. Crisis mediation phone line provided on a 24 hour basis for youth and their families. Provides emancipation counseling and resources. Also provides drop-in food, clothes, toiletries, and brief counseling support. Located at 1243 Ripley Street, Santa Rosa (707) 546-3432

Sonoma County Teen Court – Young people who commit misdemeanor offenses are brought before a jury of their peers. This program targets youth entering the juvenile justice system. Staffed by trained youth volunteers, presided over by local attorneys and juried by young people whose participation is a condition of program completion. Over 98 per cent of Teen Court’s youth offenders have not been rearrested within 18 months of their court appearance. Under The Root System “Roots for Youth” parents can make direct referrals. Targets core principles of accountability, choice, and intention. Offers workshops and seminars. Located at 3360 Coffey Lane, Suite A-2, Santa Rosa. (707) 527-6810.

Sonoma County Adult and Youth Development (SCAYD) – Youth and families are offered activities including school based groups and counseling, family advocacy, youth and family counseling, Latino outreach, multi-cultural outreach, drug, alcohol and tobacco prevention and diversion, parent education and retreats, youth employment services, and homeless prevention services. Located at 7345 Burton Avenue, Rohnert Park, CA (707) 793-9030.

Abraxis Day Treatment Center – Is a five-day-a-week 120-day program with a to month After Care program designed to assist wards who would ordinarily be ordered to serve 90 to 120 days in Juvenile Hall. The program provides education, vocational assistance, and counseling for 120 days at an off-site location in lieu of serving time in custody. The goal is to provide 17 and 18-year-old wards who have been unsuccessful in other programs the skills to survive in the world as adults. They are provided an additional 60 days of support in their community of residence by community-based organizations once they graduate from the Abraxis Program. Located in Santa Rosa (707) 568-4492.

R House has served high school aged foster youth, suffering from co-occurring mental health and substance abuse diagnosis, for 39 years. They are the only treatment center of this type, and as such serve a third of the 58 counties in California, including Sonoma County. Youth enter into treatment at R House from four different referral services, including:

  • Referral from Juvenile Probation, from a wide array of counties
  • Referral from Social Services, from a wide array of counties
  • Community Bed, three beds a year are given to community members in need of services, on a self-referral basis. There is no fee for the youth’s family. These placements range from 30-90 days, as clinically necessary.

Residential Program: The Residential program provides behavior modification, activities, housing, and around the clock supervision to a capacity of 30 residents; 18 boys and 12 girls. These youth are referred by county probation departments, social services departments, as well as local self-referrals.

Mental Health Treatment: R House provides mental health services aimed at reducing mental health symptoms, and is facilitated by a licensed therapist. These services are provided to residents, and include individual, family and group therapies; as well as, crisis intervention, assessment, treatment planning, discharge planning and collateral. In addition, medication management provided by a contracted psychiatrist is available.

Substance Abuse Treatment: R House runs Teen Relapse Prevention (TRP) which provides services to reduce and/or eliminate the use of mind/mood altering substances. This service is provided in our Abraxis Charter School, and as such serves both the residential and Sonoma county community students. Services are offered by an AOD (alcohol and other drug) Counselor, and include group, individual, intake and assessment, discharge planning, treatment planning and collateral.

Abraxis Charter School: Abraxas Charter School is a public charter high school. There are two main campuses. One serves students in the residential program, and the other serves local community students that thrive better in a small school setting. Not only do youth receive quality education, but also get vocational training and preparation. The goal being that each youth graduate high school with job-readiness skills and a roadmap to their future goals.

For further information, please contact the Fiumara Law, PC

Sierra Youth Center – The county’s 34-year-old probation camp for girls which was tucked into a corner of the juvenile justice campus off of Highway 12 in the Valley of the Moon (Santa Rosa) will be turned over and outsourced to a private sector provider, Sacramento-based Crossroads Treatment Center is due to open in March 2013.

The former Sierra Youth Center since its inception has used gardening projects, a Girl Scout troop, job training, art workshops, and even yoga classes to provide round-the-clock, court ordered supervision to hundreds of teenage girls. Many of its residents have multiple arrests for drug and gang activity, theft and other crimes.

Sonoma County supervisor Shirlee Zane, was extremely adamant that the programs for the girls are on par with those provided to the boys. She has pushed for additional classes in the trades, including woodworking, carpentry and welding. She stated that these skills command better paying jobs to get girls back on their feet since many are single mothers.

Juvenile Justice Programs – Must be referred by law enforcement, Sonoma County Juvenile Probation or West County Schools. Offers a youth diversion program for first and second time offenders at two locations in Sebastopol and Guerneville. Services include individual and family counseling, drug and alcohol groups, Teen Life Skills Group, community service opportunities, employment assistance, and family group conferencing for the victim and offender reconciliation process. Located at 6782 Sebastopol Avenue, Sebastopol (707) 829-5717, and 16390 Main Street, Guerneville (707) 829-5717.

Walden House – this program serves adolescents between ages of 13 and 18 with a wide range of substance abuse, emotional and behavioral problems. They offer substance abuse counseling and education, on-site public and special education schools, family, individual & group therapy, relapse prevention education, 12-step education and fellowship, comprehensive aftercare services, psychiatric services, medical & nursing care. Traditional program length is 6-18 months. Located at 2414 Haight Street, San Francisco (415) 554-1480.

This does not represent a complete list of all available programs and jail alternatives for juveniles. Please contact us for a confidential and free consultation for your child to find out what programs and/or jail alternatives would be most suitable for your juvenile. Please call us at our local telephone numbers 707-387-0940 in Santa Rosa and 415-234-0142 in Palm Springs.