Violence Prevention Service Wins 2007 Davis Productivity Award

Evidence-Based Associates, a national firm that works with communities to identify and implement evidence-based prevention programs for at-risk youth, won a 2007 Davis Productivity Award for their work on Florida's Redirection project.

Wilmington, NC (PRWEB) June 9, 2007 -- Evidence-Based Associates, a national firm that works with communities to identify and implement evidence-based prevention programs for at-risk youth, won a 2007 Davis Productivity Award for their work on Florida's Redirection project.

The Davis Productivity Award program recognizes and rewards state employees whose work significantly and measurably increases productivity and promotes innovation to improve the delivery of state services and save money for Florida taxpayers and businesses. The awards program also recognizes achievements that are particularly beneficial to citizens and the private sector and focuses on safety and security, property tax and insurance reform, education, adoption/abuse prevention, civil rights, health care, open government and plain language. The program is a major government improvement initiative chaired by Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp and sponsored by Florida TaxWatch, the Florida Council of 100, and the state of Florida.

Redirection is a program that works with local and judiciary channels to establish project protocols for at-risk youth. To date the Redirection project has served more than 1100 Florida youth and achieved a $5.8 million cost avoidance for the state of Florida in its first two years of operation.

"This program has been a welcomed change for local stakeholders (judges, state attorneys, public defenders and Department of Juvenile Justice) who have been looking for a balanced approach to helping Florida's troubled youth and providing answers for their parents," says Nicole Janer, project manager for the Redirection project.

The 2007 awards competition attracted 503 nominations for innovations and productivity improvements worth $332 million in cost savings, cost avoidances and increased revenue for state government.

Evidence-Based Associates represents a "family" of evidence-based programs that demonstrate positive results for violence prevention and treatment of at-risk children, adolescents and their families. Evidence-Based Associates exists to help communities and policy makers select model violence prevention programs that reduce violence, drug use and cultivate positive citizenship within communities. For more information about Evidence-Based Associates, visit www.evidencebasedassociates.com.

###