The following Work in Progress represents the efforts of Coos Families, Connected! towards its goals to date:

Coos Families, Connected! Resource Guide - The goal of the Resource Committee is to create, a Web-Based Resource Guide which will provide a comprehensive guide of Family and Human Services Resources for paraprofessionals and the Family Court to utilize on a day-to-day for referrals of families in need and Court involved families. A second phase of the Resource Guide will be more expansive and include other Family and Human Service information (eg. AA, NA, NAMI, medical, dental, united way, church related, etc.) for Coos Families to access on their own without regards to their Court involvement.

To date the Resource Guide Committee has identified internet models, made contacts with internet service providers for sponsorship and technical support; been in communications with the local educational communities to engage high school students in volunteering time for data entry, design competitions, etc. On going discussions with NCIA have been very positive and productive and the Council looks forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with this important community resource and highly regarded professional internet services provider.

Funding / Grants Committee - The Funding Grant Committee has had several meetings and has recommended that grant applications be prepared to fund Coos Families, Connected! in coordination with other grant writing efforts going forward with projects associated with the fiscal agent, North Country Health Care Consortium and the Coos County Coalition projects, including but not limited to the Juvenile Justice Initiative. To date several dozen viable grants have been identified. The Committee will begin the grant writing process towards specific grants / opportunities upon further direction from the General Membership.

Organizational Committee - The Organization Committee has been charged developing a proposal, contained herein, for defining the governance and membership structure for the council and respectfully submits the within package for consideration.

Outreach Committee - This Committee serves as a public relations sub group to contact local parent teacher organizations, school boards, civic organizations, local community colleges, local media, local government boards and other agencies and organizations to publicize the formation of Coos Families, Connected!, begin a membership drive, and generate interest in the purpose and goals of the advisory council. Judge Michalik and Patrick Kelly, Chairman will be available as speakers to help the Outreach Committee perform its work.

High School Design Competition - A subcommittee is presently engaging with all Coos High Schools to coordinate a 'Design Competition' for the portions of the Web Based Resource Guide, stationary and other Coos Families Connected! brochures pamphlets and other written materials. This project alone will help go along away to connecting Coos High School Students to the mission and goals of the Council.

Youth Alternative Bed - There exists an ongoing need, particularly in winter months for a youth Alternative Bed in Coos County. Presently, if a juvenile alleged to have committed a crime, is detained overnight for a hearing, the Coos County Sheriff must transport the juvenile to Manchester, or possibly other parts of the State, only to return the juvenile within 24 hours for a further hearing. This poses obvious challenges and risk factors for both law enforcement and the juvenile and is a drag upon the Sheriffs budget. To date informal discussions have been ongoing between the Diversion Program, the Court and the Sheriff's office to put a plan / proposal together. Contacts have been established with a specific funding mechanism although a proposal will need to be drafted and submitted.

Incentive Bank - The Berlin Family Division is one of only six Youth Drug Courts in the State of New Hampshire. Youth Drug Court requires juveniles in that system to account, on a weekly basis for their behaviors and their relationships with substances. The program is based upon accountability, consequences and rewards. The Family Court needs to develop an Incentive Bank to assist with the success of the Drug Court. The Family Court also wishes to extend the concept of incentives to the Juvenile Delinquency docket irrespective of drug and alcohol issues. The Incentive Bank would seek private donations of in kind goods to distribute to juveniles who successfully complete the Juvenile Diversion Program, Juvenile Court Graduations, Drug Court Graduations, etc. The Incentive Bank would seek and collect items such as gift cards from area businesses (ski passes, amusement part passes, gift cards, subscriptions, etc.) and publicize the contributions to generate good will for the donating businesses.

Mentoring Programs - It is well known in the arena of juvenile justice that children need, and indeed crave the attention and guidance of at least one adult interested in their lives. The experiences of the Family Court since 2006 are testimony to this reality. However, many obstacles stand in the way of mentoring. The Advisory Council should work towards networking existing mentoring programs, and the fostering and development of mentoring programs utilizing the availability of interested seniors, civic organizations, local government, schools, etc. A subcommittee devoted to this topic can make significant progress, and enhance the lives of minor s and mentors by applying a little hard work and creative thinking.

Juvenile Justice Graduate Mentors - The concept of putting juvenile offenders who successfully complete their probation periods in the Juvenile Court back to work in the Court system as volunteers has been floated in various corners. The Concord District Court has taken steps to initiate such a project. The Family Court has had a number of highly successful cases conclude with creative and willing juvenile justice 'graduates' whom could be well organized into a volunteer mentoring program for their peers. Again, an interested and committed committee of the Advisory Council could effect substantial change in the administration of juvenile justice by working with the Court on the development of a pilot project in this area. Careful attention however, will need to be made towards the confidential nature of the Juvenile Court process.

Youth Court - Local Coos schools have recently initiated PBIS and other behaviors models into their classrooms. An interested committee of the Advisory Council could assist in the development of a school based Youth Court to supplement those newly adopted behavioral models and introduce the concepts of accountability and mechanisms of justice into the youth population.

3rd Millennium Classroom Program funding - The 3rd Millennium Classroom Program is an internet interactive program for children and families dealing with juvenile substance abuse. The program has been assigned to multiple juveniles by the Family Court, however, the costs of the programs (approximately $75.00) for both drugs and alcohol are sometimes out of the reach of juveniles. This project would entail a public fundraising event of some sort, to obtain donations towards funding a family in need of this services but who are struggling financially.

Parenting Education / Co-Parenting (student level) - Substantial numbers of cases before the Family Court deal with parenting and co-parenting issues. Most students at the high school level are only a few years away from the most important job they will ever receive and most if not all are woefully under prepared. A committee of educators and interested members of the Advisory Council should explore ways to bring together existing family support resources into the schools to present a mini-curriculum for regular presentation on the issues of parenting and co-parenting. Again, a committed group could impact hundreds of lives by creatively looking at ways to educate and lead on a proactive basis.

Parenting Education / Co-Parenting (adult level) - Infinite resources exist outside of our county on the topic of parenting skills and education and resolving co-parenting conflict. Those resources are largely internet based, hard cover books, video educational programs, etc. To date the Family Resource Center in Gorham, New Hampshire has begun to address these needs and is coordinating referrals of families to those resources. The Council anticipates a continued close working relationship with FRC and others to bring together a summit on parenting education - co-parenting to introduce the public at large to ways in which they can educate themselves and for the Court to have a resource guide to order families into co-parenting education. Again, a small group of enthusiastic committee members working creatively with existing agencies can have significant impacts.

Tracking Programs or Alternative - Many juvenile courts in the State have the benefit of the YEES Tracking Program, which is the Youth Education Employment Services. YEES Tracking assists troubled youth and dysfunctional families in complying with education requirements (getting to school) as well as employment opportunities. When troubled youth can consistently get to school and/or manage some modest level of part time employment they are more likely to succeed, graduate and learn to appreciate social norms and boundaries. Tracking programs have not been available in Coos County for a number of years. The Advisory Council could make meaningful inroads into convincing government and funding agencies to reinitiate tracking in Coos County in view of the significant economic challenges we face and the likely hood that troubled youth without assistance, will continue to make higher and higher social costs upon our larger community.

Discretionary Funds to defray Court involved families costs - Frequently Court involved families are faced with acute financial stress which complicates opportunities for visits to children whom may have been placed due to the high cost of fuel and other transportation related issues. These financial strains may also prevent Court involved children from attending needed summer school programs, vocational programs, substance abuse and mental health counseling, etc. Modest, one time financial grants to these families from a Discretionary Fund maintained and disbursed by the Council could have a significant effect to help children and families over otherwise significant "bumps" on their roads to recovery, reunification and more stable and healthy lifestyles. Often minimum contributions towards a specific need can make a world of difference to get children and families back on track. It is contemplated that children and families receiving such grants would be required to enter a contract to reimburse the community through accountable and meaningful community service hours.

Annual Professionalism Forums - The Council hopes to sponsor an annual Professionalism Forum whereby members of the human services community meet to network, learn of developments in the law effecting the professions and the local area, share information on other important new developments which affect the professions and to foster the growth of a stronger community based network of providers.

Annual Forums on the Family Law Issues - The Council hopes to sponsor an annual Family Law Issues Forum whereby the public is invited to learn, directly from professionals in the human services community on multiple topics including but not limited to: