Border Institute of Excellence (BIE) Center for Effective Parenting (CEP)

The Congressionally Recommended Awards Program, authorized by the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117), helps improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and/or assist victims of crime (other than compensation). Funds should be used for the projects recommended by Congress, in the amounts specified in the joint explanatory statement incorporated by reference into Pub. L. 111-117, and generally consistent with one or more of the following statutory purposes: improving the functioning of the criminal justice system, preventing or combating juvenile delinquency, or assisting victims of crime (other than compensation). Each of these purposes is framed using language drawn, respectively, from the former Byrne discretionary statute, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, the Victims of Crime Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 2010 Congressional Budget and by the joint explanatory statement that is incorporated by reference into the FY2010 Department of Justice Appropriations Act.

Aliviane, Inc. will use the FY 2010 Congressionally Recommended Awards funds to assist the youth and schools in communities plagued with drug abuse and trafficking along the U.S./Mexico border. The Border Institute of Excellence (BIE), Center for Effective Parenting (CEP) will work to combat youth drug trafficking, substance abuse, and gang involvement by utilizing a parent-focused public health approach intended to counter recruitment tactics by drug cartels and transnational gangs in El Paso County, Texas. The parent-focused approach will include educating, empowering, and training parents in best practice prevention, intervention, and outreach approaches. The program is modeled after successful public health approaches to combating substance abuse and violence and will include the following core components: street-level outreach, public education, parent mobilization, and community involvement. The BIE/CEP will utilize parents as agents of change to disrupt community norms, prevent and combat juvenile delinquency, as well as strengthen the community to exercise informal social controls and mobilize drug demand efforts.

Overall, this 18 month project will use a "train the trainers" course to train an initial cohort of eight to conduct street outreach, prevention and intervention to 100 families. Additionally, the cohort will train eight additional parents as trainers. A total of 64 parents will be trained and involved with the BIE Center for Effective Parenting. Parents will develop and distribute educational materials and a CEP advisory committee will be developed for information sharing and increased access to a variety of social services.

NCA/NCF