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Five groups vie for grant money aimed to prevent juvenile crime By JONEL ALECCIA Competition for nearly half a million dollars in new funds to prevent juvenile crime intensified Monday as area social service agencies formally applied for the money. Five agencies or collaborations of agencies maintained interest in $450,925 allocated by the state Legislature for assessment and intervention with at-risk youth. Applicants included Community Works, one of the area's largest social service agencies, and a collaboration of nearly a dozen groups led by the Medford School District. Both those groups submitted six copies of the detailed application to the Jackson County Commission on Children and Families mere minutes before the 5 p.m. Monday deadline. "Grant writing is a grueling process," said Carin Niebuhr, head of the committee evaluating applications. The Southern Oregon Child Treatment and Study Center, the Rogue River School District and Jackson County Mental Health Services also applied for all or part of the funds. A decision is expected April 3. The allocation, available from March 1 through June 30, 2001, represents an unusual source of new funding. It's among some $750,000 authorized for Jackson County last session to prevent juvenile crime. The money is aimed at services for county youth ages 7 to 17, many of whom are at risk for, but have not committed, criminal behavior. The new funds include nearly $65,000 for non-offender assessment; about $252,000 for non-offender case management; about $67,000 for intensive parent training; and about $67,000 for mental health services. The collaboration led by the Medford School District includes partner agencies OnTrack Inc., Southern Oregon Drug Awareness, Boys and Girls Clubs of Jackson County, the Medford Police Department, state Adult and Family Services, the West Medford Community Coalition, Kids Unlimited of Southern Oregon, Hall Enterprises, the Upper Rogue Family Center and the Jackson County Sheriff's Department. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA