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FLY outlines reentry gains, warns of service disruption after case manager departure; commissioners raise housing concerns
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Summary
Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) staff reported expanded reentry and transitional-age enrollment and internships but announced the departure of a case manager who worked closely with youth. Commissioners urged quick continuity planning and proposed a housing subcommittee to address growing needs for transitional-age youth.
Representatives of Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) briefed the Juvenile Justice Commission on April 28 about reentry work, youth employment supports and a staffing change that could affect continuity of services.
Maria Delgado said FLY's reentry program added two youth recently and that work on a paid Phoenix Garden internship and summer applications is underway. Liliana reported the LRE program had exceeded a goal of enrolling 50 transitional-age young adults with four weeks remaining in the outreach period.
Harold Atkins, FLY program manager for the SOAR unit, said the group is working with 11 youth inside the Youth Services Center and emphasized prosocial identity work and peer education. He said more than half of FLY participants are enrolled in college and several have associate degrees. Atkins announced that case manager Tati (Tati Castaneda) is no longer with the program and described an internal interim plan: seasoned staff, community partners and targeted coverage to ensure youth near release are not left without supports. "I'm not really interested in filling the role quickly... I want to take my time and get the right person," Atkins said, noting the program will rely on existing staff and partners during the transition.
Commissioners expressed concern about the timing and trust implications for youth who lose long-term case managers. Commissioner Bocanegra and others urged FLY and the commission to prioritize continuity and called for leveraging community partners. The commission discussed housing as a systemic issue: outreach leads said unhoused and transitional-age youth are increasing and that partners (Faith in Action, Samaritan House, Saint Francis and others) are coordinating immediate assistance. Commissioners recommended forming a subcommittee to pursue housing solutions, and one member noted Senator Becker's work to establish 300+ housing beds at San Mateo College as a longer-term option.
Ending: FLY said it has no current wait list for reentry services and is accepting referrals; commissioners asked staff to explore a housing-focused subcommittee and to track continuity plans for the vacated case-manager role.
