Participants must reside in Arlington County or the City of Falls Church. They must attend school and be females 13 to 18 years of age. The counselors help the girls clarify issues in their lives that contribute to their poor decision-making. The program offers individual group and family counseling. Parental involvement is mandatory and includes two monthly parent groups.
Academic success is stressed and networking with the schools is done daily.
Average length of stay is 10 months. The program offers intensely supervised activities to improve self-esteem and promote positive interaction with family and community. Juveniles who are on supervised probation are referred by their probation counselors. Participants who fail to attend all sessions may face consequences in court. Conversations are conducted in English and Spanish and there are frequent excursions into the community.