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Supervisors commend Multi-Agency Assessment Center and Loving Flowers for work with justice-involved youth
Summary
Vice President Sylvia Arenas presented a board commendation for the Multi-Agency Assessment Center (MAC) and Loving Flowers (Meghan Tu Williams) for early intervention, trauma-responsive services, and enrichment programming for youth in juvenile hall.
Vice President Sylvia Arenas presented a commendation recognizing the Multi-Agency Assessment Center (MAC) and the community nonprofit Loving Flowers for work with juvenile justice–involved youth.
"This is a multi agency assessment center. This is a team that does makes things happen over at our juvenile hall, for a lot of our youth," Vice President Sylvia Arenas said, introducing the MAC team and the partnership with Meghan Tu Williams of Loving Flowers. Arenas identified the MAC as part of the county probation department and said the team provides early intervention and treatment services for youth entering the system for the first time.
Arenas described MAC services as trauma-responsive care and programs that include substance-abuse and anger-management education: "When our youth feel safe and they trust somebody, they're allowed to continue to dream and aspire." She credited the MAC team with relationship-building inside juvenile hall and highlighted Loving Flowers’ work bringing flower-arrangement activities and essay contests to visitation events so youth can offer something to family members during visits.
The board recognized Deputy Chief Joe Ugalde and Daniel Cortez, identified in the transcript as the division manager of the MAC, when presenting certificates. Chief Pritchard, identified as head of the probation department in the transcript, was also acknowledged for departmental leadership.
Arenas added a call to broader prevention work: "We must do more to prevent incarcerated youth, especially our black and brown youth from entering the justice system. But once they're there, I want to make sure that you all know that there's amazing people supporting them." The board gave the group a round of applause and presented certificates to members of the MAC team.
The commendation recognizes ongoing county-contracted or county-operated rehabilitative efforts in juvenile justice and a continuing community partnership with Loving Flowers; the transcript recorded the board presenting certificates and taking photographs but did not record policy directives or funding commitments tied to the recognition.
