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Youth Development
If you have any questions about any Community Affairs programs, please call 516-571-1090 or email us.
heroin prevention taskforce
Designed to form a partnership of community, social and government agencies dedicated to reducing the demand for heroin in our communities; to educating our citizens of the prevalence of the heroin problem, the signs and symptoms of addiction, and the resources available; to eliminating drug-related crime in our communities, through public education, advocacy, media, law enforcement, and legislation.
Youth Mentoring
Our youth need mentors and District Attorney Madeline Singas strongly supports this important initiative. Community Affairs staff members currently work with a variety of school and community groups to expand mentoring services. With the help of the Mentoring Partnership of Long Island, over the years, members of the DA's staff, including lawyers, investigators, and paraprofessionals, mentor elementary and middle school children in Uniondale and Hempstead every week. Currently, our team is working at the Drexel Elementary School in Westbury. In addition to the one to one mentoring, mentees receive life skill workshops as well as field trips including trips to the court and a luncheon at the Bar Association. Evaluations of the work underscore that the youth show improved behavior, better grades, and a happier outlook on life.
the Long island Youth Safety Coalition
The Long Island Youth Safety Coalition, an organization comprised of local school districts, youth groups, substance abuse treatment organizations and law enforcement agencies dedicated to keeping Nassau County’s teenagers safe from destructive decision-making.
The coalition’s goal is simple: combine the resources and knowledge possessed by the dozens of coalitions, schools, and groups dedicated to making teenagers safer.
“This coalition is the first of its kind to gather all of these like-minded groups under one umbrella,” Rice said. “By sharing information, knowledge, and advice, each organization will become stronger and more effective and Nassau County’s teens will benefit.”
Coalition members include Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Boys and Girls Club, County and village police departments, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island, Peninsula Counseling Center, Nassau County Department of Social Services, and dozens of treatment agencies and school districts.
Coalition members can sign up for a ListServ email notification system to discuss issues, share information, and learn new information. The system is hosted by Kathy Coley at SUNY Farmingdale.
For information on how to join the Teenage Safety Coalition, please email us.
Operation Safe Child
using the latest digital fingerprinting and photography we can work with your school or group to provide free Safe Child Cards for parents. The cards contain a child’s names, biographical information fingerprints, and photo. The parents also have the option to opt into having their child’s information saved into the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) database in Albany. If they opt in this will link them to the AMBER alert program in the event that the child goes missing. The fingerprints provided by the child will be included in a special search file and compared to all incoming fingerprints