A message from our President & CEO, Dan Heit:
We’re on the way to our 100th Anniversary!
On the first Monday of August, 1999, JusticeWorks accepted its first cohort of 20 youth to be served. All were adjudicated delinquents, mostly male, all were in placement and all were from Lehigh County.
If your fingers and toes are rusty, that’s 25 years ago!!
After I left Abraxas (ok, fired, but that’s another story!), I had an idea for a continuing care service –aka, aftercare—which would improve outcomes and save the public sector money by reducing placement’ length of stay. Having been responsible for long-term residential services, I knew there was an inherent disconnect between the facility, its services, and the reality youth would find when they returned to home and community. JustCare was the antidote.
I spoke to many Juvenile Probation departments across Pennsylvania, and Lehigh County was the first to think it was a great idea! In July, I spent 300 hard to come by dollars (divorce) and incorporated JusticeWorks. When we started, there were two staff, one based in Pittsburgh and the other in Allentown.
From our earliest days, JusticeWorks was focused on the heart and head of human services: a passionate whatever it takes work ethic, and a commitment to be an outcomes’ driven organization. In 2003 we did a look-back evaluation and demonstrated that we had reduced length of stay in public and private programs and achieved very positive recidivism results. Those results were shared, and we started to grow.
This formula has clearly worked and today JusticeWorks is a provider of choice, known and respected across 130 counties in seven states! More are coming! We’re blessed with some 700 hard working staff. More are coming!
About 50% of new companies are out of business in two years. I hope you share the pride in JusticeWorks’ sustainability, and especially, our unparalleled history of helping children and families.
Since 1999, we have provided care to more than 50,000 families. Now, we serve nearly 6,000 every day. All our services are community based and family centered.
There are so many things I’m proud of, but my most heartfelt moments are when I read another Success Story to be posted: a family grateful for the profound impact their FRS has made; a CYS caseworker, or JPO, who says, “I’m used to complaining about providers, with JusticeWorks I only have awe and respect!”. When I visit our offices, in every state, I’m always struck by the commitment and sense of meaning which staff have. Lots of smiles and positive feelings.
There are gifts for each of you which your Program Director will be distributing. Enjoy!
Happy Anniversary, happy healthy year, and many many more!
Dan
p.s. we are finalizing the JusticeWorks’ Anniversary movie… it’s fantastic!
Hope to see you and your family at Knoebel’s!