Community Partners

FINS-community students are referred by schools, social services agencies and community organizations such as: teen court, drug court, civil citation, and local crisis runaway shelters.

Risk Factors

The following are baseline risk factors used to determine eligibility of youth served. Youth must meet at least two of these risk factors:

• Living in a high delinquency zip code
• Attending a low performing school
• Significant academic problems (including: chronic truancy, suspensions, expulsion, failing two or more classes within a semester,has been held back and/or failed a grade level)
• Significant family problems
• History of using drugs or alcohol
• Exhibiting pre-delinquent behavior

Program Elements

FINS-community programs are broken into two components: Wilderness Expedition and Transition Component. Together, through the use of evidence-based model, youth and family focus on:

• Individualized & family goal planning
• Behavior intervention & management (includes pro-social and life skills focus)
• Non-therapeutic individual, group, peer and family counseling
• School interventions
• Family mediations

• Individualized and Family Goal Planning: students and parent/guardians participate in a formal needs assessment to determine individualized goals and objectives surrounding social/life skills, education, family reunification, mental health and substance abuse.
• Behavior Intervention & Management: Students are taught skills that focus on improved decision-making, problem solving, anger management, conflict resolution for home and school life.
• Service Projects: Students may participate in a community-based service project. As students develop skills to help themselves, they are also involved in learning to care for others.
• Parent Education: parents are required to participate in activities during wilderness and transition component. Tools are provided to assist parents in strengthening their relationship with their child.
• Family Mediation: parent(s)/guardian and student create a mediated contract. This serves as a framework for transition and assists in the success of both parties upon the student's return to their everyday life.
• Transition/Reinforcement: Outward Bound staff meet and work with families in their homes to continue with mediated contract and goal planning. Outward Bound staff also meet with school personnel to provide solutions to ensure academic success. Students receive limited academic credit while participating in wilderness expedition.
• Additional Resources for Extended Services: upon completion of a FINS-Community program, students and families are provided with information on outside agencies, support groups and resources to support students and families.