Truancy Intervention

The Truancy Intervention Programs are a collaboration between the Pinellas County School Board, the State Attorney's Office, the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court, and Family Resources. Eligible clients are habitually truant middle school students who are 10 to 15 years of age. Occasionally, some youth are referred from elementary schools.

Truant youth appear in Teen Truancy Court to address their truancy issues and to enter into a voluntary agreement to seek services that will assist in resolving the issues leading up to their truancy. This program intervenes in truant behavior by addressing the causes for absenteeism, which may include poor school performance, abuse and violence, bullying, family disruption, or substance abuse in a more comprehensive and individualized approach. Case managers will typically visit a youth in their home to assess barriers to regular school attendance and assist with overcoming those barriers in whatever way is necessary. Teen support groups are offered on a regular basis to youth in the program.

The Magistrate program is a final attempt to avoid court appearances and a formal judicial finding of truancy. The Truancy Magistrate Program is modeled after a very successful court program in Rhode Island. When the school's Attendance Specialist determines that a child is truant, a petition is filed with the School Board Attorney's Office. The truant child and their parents are summoned to appear at a hearing in their school. At this hearing they are given the choice to have their case sent before Judge Sullivan with Unified Family Court or to have their case monitored weekly by the Truancy Magistrate at their school. The program has expanded from five to now serving eleven middle schools.

The South County Truancy Interdiction Program (SCTIP) program. Law enforcement officers pick up youth during truancy sweeps and transport them to SCTIP located at the Police Athletic League Center, 1450 16th St. N in St. Petersburg. Parents are notified to pick up their child within an hour. Family Resources has one Case Manager located at SCTIP. The truancy Case Manager assesses the needs of the child and determines if any referrals are necessary including family counseling, mental health or substance abuse assessment or treatment.

Family Resources provides service coordination on behalf of families which includes assessment, planning, linkage, monitoring and advocacy services, case review and appropriate referral to the county-wide Case Staffing Committee. This committee recommends pursuing judicial intervention in appropriate cases.

There are no fees for this service.

Location

Teen Truancy Court hearings are held at the Pinellas County Courthouse located at:
14250 49th Street North, Clearwater, Florida

Case management and case monitoring are offered to each family served. Individual and family counseling services are offered through the Family Resources family counseling offices located in St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

Procedure to contact/refer

Youth are referred by school attendance specialists or school social workers. Hearings are generally held weekly during the school year. Support services are offered Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.