Discuss the salient points of the Family Keys program, who does the program serve, has evaluations ...

In 2003, officials in Orange County NY became concerned about the projected impact of the state's increasing number of at risk kids, and therefore wanted to increase its jurisdiction over status offenders to age 18.
 After much study, and with the legislature's backing, the community-based Family Keys program was officially launched.
 Under the program, the county probation department receives inquiries from parents about PINS. If, after a brief screening, the intake officer finds sufficient allegations to support a PINS complaint, the officer refers the case to Family Keys rather than to probation intake.
 Depending on the severity of the case, Family Keys dispatches counselors to assess the family's situation 2 to 48 hours after receiving a referral.
 Based on the assessment, the agency develops an appropriate short-term intervention plan for the youth and family and provides links to community-based programs. Family Keys works with the family for up to three weeks to ensure that the family is engaged in the service plan.
 The Family Keys intervention takes place in lieu of filing a PINS complaint, provides intensive, short-term crisis intervention to families, and diverts PINS cases away from the court system.
 Evaluation of the Family Keys program has been very promising. The time between a parent's first contact with probation and subsequent follow-up has decreased dramatically, from as long as six weeks under the previous system to as low as two hours through the Family Keys process.
 The number of PINS cases referred to court and the number of PINS placements also have been sharply reduced. The evaluation showed that between April and September 2009, 184 young people and their families were offered services. The program served both males and females ages 10 to 17; the majority of youth were 15 or 16 years old.
 Student views will vary.