Santa Cruz County Evening Center

The Evening Center Program serves a maximum of 10 probation youth at any given time.

Services are available for referrals from the Juvenile Court, in response to probation violations for youth who are in need of additional supervision and structure for a brief period of time (between 12 and 30 days). It is an alternative to detention and/or an out of home placement avoidance effort. A youth may be ordered to attend the Evening Center as often as the Court deems this alternative appropriate.

Meals are served on weekdays. The Evening Center program is staffed by personnel from the Probation Department, Children's Mental Health, and the Alcohol/Drug Program. Community based agency staff provide programming that helps support their success; the program targets youth who are struggling with drug and alcohol issues, failing to comply with conditions of probation and/or committing new offenses. The program offers an immediate response to relapse and other probation violations utilizing stabilization and transition services. Services at the Evening Center provide programming to address these and other issues, utilizing assessment as well as promising and evidence-based practices. A list of services and activities is provided below.

Who Can Refer?

  • Probation Officers
  • Juvenile Court
  • Community Accountability Program Caseload
  • Family Preservation & Wraparound Caseload
  • General Supervision Caseload

Hours

The Evening Center operates Tuesday through Friday from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM and is supported on Saturdays by services from the Community Action Board's Community Restoration Program.

Youth Eligible for Services

Youth must be on court ordered probation, ages 13-17, youth pending court for multiple probation violations, youth pending court for new law offenses.

Common Types of Referrals:

Probation Violations:

  • Positive Drug Test
  • School related issues-truancy, suspension, failure to enroll
  • Failure to meet terms of probation (missed counseling appts)
  • Failure to complete community service
  • Runaway behavior-not coming home, AWOL from home

New Law Offenses

  • Non-violent misdemeanors
  • Theft
  • Vandalism
  • Other minor misdemeanor charges
  • Youth pending disposition while on home supervision or electronic monitoring programs
  • Transition/step-down from out of home placement

Services:

  • Assessment (and follow-up)
  • Transportation (adult to adult hand off)
  • Evening Supervision (between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM)
  • Individual and Group Counseling
  • Tutoring and Homework Assistance
  • 7 Challenges (Alcohol & Drug Treatment cognitively based curriculum) Computer Lab
  • Computer Lab
  • Physical Fitness and Recreational Programming
  • Employment Readiness and Mentoring
  • Law Related Education
  • Friday Night Live (Life skills promoting healthy drug/alcohol free activities)

Mission Statement

The mission statement of the Luna Evening Center is to help provide additional support to probation-involved youth that are struggling with substance use/abuse and other high-risk behaviors. The Evening Center provides a structured after-school environment where youth can examine the thoughts and feelings that affect their behavior and learn skills to make the best choices possible. It is a short-term immediate intervention designed to maintain youth in their home and in their community.