Olympic Educational Service District 114: Programs and Initiatives

Olympic Educational Service District (OESD) 114 serves as a vital resource for schools and communities in Washington State, offering a range of programs designed to support students, families, and educators. Located in Bremerton, Kitsap County, OESD 114 extends its services to multiple counties, including Jefferson County. The organization is committed to equity and compliance with federal and state regulations.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination and Equal Access

Olympic Educational Service District 114 complies with all federal and state regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, marital status, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities, or other basis protected by applicable law. Equal access to activities, facilities and programs is provided to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to Mari Flosi, Human Resources Director, OESD 114, 105 National Avenue North, Bremerton, WA 98312, (360) 782-5047.

Transition Services for Youth

Transition specialists within OESD 114 are responsible for managing transition services at the 22 facility schools across the state. These services are designed to support youth as they transition between different educational settings or from school to work or other post-secondary opportunities.

The range of services include:

Brief check-ins with the school or work placement to ensure the student attended.
Meeting with the youth and his family member to develop a transition plan.
Arranging a meeting with the school or community placement to assist the youth in transition.

Education Advocates Program

The Education Advocates program serves youth with the greatest need and who are the most amenable to services. The program prioritizes early intervention, aiming to connect with the youth and their parents within the first week of the youth’s release date.

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The program follows a structured approach:

Initial Contact: The program first makes contact with the youth and his/her parents within the first week of the youth’s release date.
Needs Assessment and Intake: Once contact has been made, the Education Advocate conducts a needs assessment and intake to develop a comprehensive plan focusing on the youth’s needs ad strengths.
Prioritization of Services: Education advocates then work with the youth to determine and prioritize which services and support is needed.
Linkage to Services: Finally, youth are linked to services and supportive resources.

Washington State Incentive Grant (SIG) Project in Jefferson County

Olympic Educational Service District 114 is one of eighteen recipients of the Washington State Incentive Grant (SIG). SIG funds are allocated to communities to prevent the use, misuse and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs by Washington State youth. Olympic ESD 144 offices are located in Bremerton, Kitsap County. Their SIG project was located in Jefferson County, one of the counties within the boundaries of Olympic ESD 114, which is one of nine school district consortiums in Washington State. Located in the north and east Olympic Peninsula, Jefferson County is a rural county that lacks many of the services and programs found in urban areas. Many adults and youth view the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs as an easy way to "kill time." In order to counter these perceptions and attitudes, family-oriented programs that teach refusal and parenting skills were chosen for the project.

Collaborative Efforts and Data-Driven Approach

Prior to SIG, Jefferson County collaborative planning efforts among prevention agencies, organizations, and school districts were limited. The SIG project represents one of the county's first collaborative efforts in grant writing and assessing prevention needs and services. SIG introduced the concept of using data to prioritize risk and protective factors, and to select and evaluate science-based programs. Jefferson County Community Network helped create the Jefferson County Prevention Council before SIG funding was awarded. SIG's emphasis on partnerships has helped to stimulate the Prevention Council's interest in increasing its own collaborations. On a quarterly basis, the Jefferson County Prevention Council brings together service providers and the public for the exchange of information, review of local research, and development of strategies to enhance services.

Increased Awareness of Risk and Protective Factors

SIG helped increase awareness of the risk and protective factor framework among Jefferson County prevention providers, the schools, and Olympic ESD 114. Members of the Jefferson County Prevention Council participated in the data driven, SIG-sponsored, collaborative needs assessment, pilot-tested statewide in spring 2001. As their resource assessment, the council mapped school-based prevention programs throughout the county to identify existing resources and service gaps.

Implementation of Research-Based Programs

The SIG process encouraged the choice of programs that have been shown, through published research, to be effective in different locales and with multiple populations. These are known as research-based programs.

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Examples of research-based programs implemented include:

Strengthening Families: A science based program for 6- to 10-year-old children of substance abusers. It includes a parent training program, a children's skills training program, and a family skills training program.
Take Time: A school-based support program for students and their families, it serves a set number of youth and families.
Functional Family Therapy: An eight to twelve week in-home program to increase reciprocity and positive support among family members and to create clear and positive communication.

Common Reporting Tools

Common reporting tools include the Washington State Survey of Adolescent Health Behaviors and the Everest program monitoring outcome system.

Progress Towards Goals and Objectives

The Jefferson County SIG community has shown progress toward meeting its internal SIG goals and objectives, and toward achieving the community level objectives established by the Governor's Substance Abuse Prevention Advisory Committee.

Access to Additional Resources

Olympic Educational Service District 114, Jefferson County Executive Summary of Community-Level Process Evaluation Reports" Publication Date: 04/2002.
Community Project Description for Jefferson County - Olympic Educational Service District 114." Publication Date: 04/2002.
Project Action Plan for Jefferson County - Olympic Educational Service District 114." Publication Date: 04/2002.
Olympic Educational Service District 114, Jefferson County Washington State Incentive Grant 1st year Community - Level Evaluation 1999-2000." Publication Date: 11/2000.
Olympic Educational Service District 114, JeffersonCounty Washington State Incentive Grant 2nd Year Community - Level Evaluation 2000-2001." Publication Date: 04/2002.
Program Outcomes" Publication Date: 04/2002.
Community Outcomes Report - Jefferson County - Olympic Educational Service District 114, Jefferson" Publication Date: 04/2002.

tags: #olympic #educational #service #district #114 #programs