Who We Are
REFORM, INC. (Resiliency. Empowerment. Faith. OveRcoMer) is a non-profit corporation operated exclusively for educational, religious, scientific, literary, and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501 c3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. It was incorporated in April 2013 and is currently based out of Pine Bluff (Jefferson County), Arkansas.
REFORM, Inc's purpose is to empower transitional independent-aged youth and young adults from 5-29 to become leaders and to prepare them with the skills and knowledge needed through education, life skills, and vocational training. REFORM, Inc. seeks to foster commitment from the youth to the outcome and solution and from the community to be a part of the process and solution. REFORM, Inc. seeks to become an asset to the youth by developing their sense of hope for the future and promote strong interpersonal skills to be uncovered by the youth in order for them to follow through to adulthood on a positive path with a sense of pride, accomplishment, and increased self-esteem and knowledge.
REFORM, Inc. is designed to provide the skills sets needed to transition and independent living aged youth” to empower them to become leaders in their communities and to prepare them for adulthood through life skills classes, education, and hands-on apprenticeships/mentorships. Through this program, our hopes are to enrich their lives, enhance their self-esteem, focus positive energy on preparation for the real-world, prepare them to make a positive impact on others wherever they go, and encourage their resiliency to have faith in themselves that they can overcome any obstacle they face and become respected, productive, citizens in their communities, cities, states to which they seek to reside.
REFORM, INC. MISSION
To be a catalyst for change in the lives of today’s youth to increase their chances of being leaders of tomorrow.
REFORM, INC. GOAL
To empower transitional independent aged youths and young adults, ages 10 through 24, to become leaders by preparing them through education, life skills and vocational training.
REFORM, INC. MOTTO
Dreams can be realized with proper planning, support, and action”.
THE PROBLEM REFORM, INC. SEEKS TO ADDRESS
Though youth have repeated failures in the classroom and have developed destructive habits, at-risk youth have seemed to have lost faith in the possibilities that await them if they are successful in putting their lives together. To accomplish this, youth must be in caring, inclusive
learning environments that promote their best efforts and reinforce personal respect for themselves and others. REFORM, Inc. is a residential- program designed to provide a direct response to the growing number of youths that are either falling through the cracks of unstable housing, homelessness, unpreparedness, failing in school or who already are entangled in the juvenile justice court system. The goal is to identify youths experiencing a turbulent transition to adulthood and offer positive support to avoid pitfalls that could with most certainty derail their lives.
REFORM, INC. VISION
The vision for REFORM, Inc., is to be the leader in empowering at-risk youths to live their dreams and to increase their chance of becoming leaders of tomorrow through support, encouragement, dedication, empowerment, development, and education. REFORM, Inc., strives to give youth the tools and resources to excel in every area of life by focusing on developing youth intellectually, emotionally, academically and spiritually while meeting the needs of the youth, their parents and the community. Most at-risk youths lack support systems and guidance. When possible,
REFORM, Inc., seeks to engage the youth’s parents and offer them support as statistics have proven that children have a better chance of creating and maintain change when the environment around them changes as well.
REFORM, Inc., seeks to improve current relationships, form new positive relationships and assist youths in developing new ways of handling conflict, adversity, stress and chaotic situations/relationships through utilizing conflict resolution methods and character building. The desire is that once a youth develops positive self-esteem, improve and enforce morals that have been taught, acquire leadership qualities and skills, and place them in new, improved situations/environments, they will have a skill set to employ to make better decisions for their lives. Once they care about their own lives, prayerfully it causes them to place value on others’ lives and their property.
REFORM, INC. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
REFORM, Inc. will consist an executive board and a youth advisory board. Male and female youths between the ages of 5 and 29 must complete an application process to participant in REFORM, Inc., programming and residential services. Upon acceptance, REFORM, Inc., will perform a needs assessment, to include various bio-psychosocial and youth assessment tools, to develop a holistically approach to assist the youth in succeeding. After identifying where a youth stands academically, socially and educationally, REFORM, Inc., will develop a goal plan sheet to track the youth’s progress and potential barriers/setbacks and it will be reviewed every three months or as needed in case there is a significant change.
Average time in the program will be until graduation or a youth can choose to stay in the program extended stay program throughout their post-secondary education course for added supports until they turn 24. Life skill subjects to be addressed will be, but not limited to: Adult Daily Living Skills, socialization, sex education, team building, conflict resolution, diversity, communication, and listening skills, coping skills, mediation, community service, leadership, peer mentorship, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, internet safety, drug education, anger management, banking, budgeting, how to pay bills, cooking, keeping appointments, banking, shopping, saving money, credit, and driver safety.
Education skills training will be offered through parenting classes, GED preparation, test-taking classes, and homework tips to increase grades, and more. Career skills training's will include credit counseling, entrepreneurship, apprenticeship, career counseling, job interviewing skills, how to dress for success, how to complete resumes, and complete job applications.
Health training skills will be offered through the use of yoga, Zumba, meditation, dieting, healthy foods, how to be aware of danger signs of health problems, preparing for life through learning about health insurance, life policies, and more. Incentives will be offered for each level of completion through the duration of the program. Mentors will be provided as an extra layer of help to assist youth in developing and reaching attainable goals to better the chances of each youth becoming successful. Parents will be involved through intensive family services, when applicable, to increase youth incentive and promote parental engagement.
They will be offered several services including but not limited to assistance in identifying resources, and participation in the program through parenting classes, credit counseling, job skills training, communication, education training's, and more.
REFORM, Inc. will offer support groups, a mentoring program, and apprenticeships by partnering with local businesses and business owners to match with identified desired fields of study of the youth. REFORM, Inc., also intends to partner with other local, state and national for- and not-for-profit agencies in the future.
REFORM, INC. PROGRAM STRATEGY
REFORM, Inc. will address youth using this 10-step model:
1. Assessment of Needs
2. Goal Setting (Solution-Focused)
3. Consistency
4. Regrouping when necessary
5. Adequate Supports
6. Self-Discipline
7. Skills Development/Preparedness
8. Mentorship
9. Positive Experiences/Activities
10. Empowerment