El Dorado County Youth Invited to Participate in New Peer Council Program
El Dorado County students in grades 8 to 12 are invited to take an active role in the local juvenile justice system through a new youth Peer Council program. Student volunteers are now being recruited for Peer Council, which is slated to begin in Placerville and South Lake Tahoe this fall. The Peer Council program is a collaborative effort between the Probation Department and the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) of El Dorado County.
Through the Peer Council, trained youth will meet as a team one to two times per month with youth who have engaged in low level delinquent activity. The Peer Council will make recommendations about services and efforts that can assist each youthful offender in making positive changes. Peer Council members will receive leadership training, guidance and support from staff in the departments of Probation and HHSA.
The goals of this early intervention program are to empower youthful offenders to positively change their lives by recognizing the importance of making good choices and addressing harmful behaviors, in a collaborative, positive, peer-supported environment, as well as encouraging local youth leadership.
The Peer Council is expected to meet year round, twice per month in Placerville beginning in October 2018, and monthly in South Lake Tahoe beginning in November 2018. On the West Slope, Peer Council participant training will generally be conducted quarterly. After completing training, students may serve as peer reviewers.
For more information, including how to sign up to volunteer on the new Peer Council, please contact Stephanie Carlson at (530) 621-6130 in Placerville or Hector Reyes at (530) 573-7959 in South Lake Tahoe. Information and sign-ups for the Peer Council in Placerville can also be found at https://sites.google.com/edcgov.us/peercouncil-pv/home
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