PATHFINDERS OF OREGON

Pathfinders began operations in 1993, with the development of a cognitive restructuring program for the Oregon Department of Corrections. In 2001, Pathfinders participated with ODOC and the Oregon Social Learning Center in the piloting of the Parenting Inside Out program, a cognitive- behavioral parenting skills program for incarcerated parents. Since 1993, Pathfinders has provided services to more than 30,000 Oregon inmates, including 3,500 female inmates. In 2003, Pathfinders played a key role in forming the Children's Justice Alliance to look at all the systems that touch a child when his or her parent is incarcerated and to develop a model to best serve the children. Out of that work came the Center for Family Success where families with involvement in the criminal justice system can come for services and programs to help children and parents succeed. Since its inception, Pathfinders has been the service delivery agent for all programs and services at the Center. The Children's Justice Alliance and Pathfinders of Oregon merged in 2011 and the Children's Justice Alliance became a program of Pathfinders. Pathfinders has provided parenting training to over 1,000 criminal justice involved clients of the Department of Human Services and the Center serves more than 400 families a year. Through the Children's Justice Alliance, eleven Oregon counties were trained to recognize and address the issues impacting children whose parents are involved in the criminal justice system. In 2011, Pathfinders began a collaborative process to develop a comprehensive community based model to strengthen families, reduce youth violence, increase graduation rates and keep young people out of the justice system. The project is focused on East Multnomah County, which has the highest rates of crime, gang activity, poverty and unemployment in the metro area. Along with public and private partners, we are creating a community-based system of services to support youth at risk for violence and their families.