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ABOUT US
Program History
The Advocate Program, Inc. is a private not-for-profit agency offering structured probation, traditional probation, diversion and community service programs to the Courts of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit (Miami-Dade County, Florida), both adult and juvenile. Additionally the Program operates a Licensed D.U.I. School.
History of Funding
Begun in 1971 to provide group counseling for traffic offenders, the Program was funded though grants from both private and federal funds. In 1975, after the Florida Department of Corrections' probation supervision was restricted to felony defendants, all pending Miami-Dade County misdemeanor probation cases were transferred to the Program. At the same time, the Program developed the Alternative Service Project, one of the first organized efforts in Florida to refer and supervise offenders in community service placements. The Advocate Program then incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida as a not-for-profit corporation, established a Board of Directors, and decided to obtain it's financial support strictly from client fees. That decision is still the overriding philosophy of the Program: that offenders, not taxpayers should pay for the opportunity to avoid conviction, fine or incarceration. In 1991, and continuing since then, a contract was negotiated with Miami-Dade County (at no cost to the County) to continue to provide misdemeanor probation services to the County Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.
Misdemeanor Pretrial Diversion
In 1978, the Program was asked by the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office to develop a pretrial diversion program for misdemeanants similar to the Pretrial Intervention program operating under the auspices of the office (which later became the model for the state-wide Department of Corrections Pretrial Intervention Program). In 1990, at the request of the Chief Judge, the criteria for misdemeanor pretrial diversion was expanded, through the efforts of the State Attorney's Office and the Miami-Dade Chiefs of Police, to develop more extensive supervision and programming for defendants who ere not necessarily true first offenders.
Expansion to include Felony Diversion
In 1980, the State Attorney's Office asked the Program to develop a diversion program for Carrying Concealed Firearm felony cases. In the mid-1980's, the State Attorney's Office began referring other, less specific types of felony diversion cases to the Advocate Program.
Expansion to include Juvenile Service
In 1984, the program was asked by the Juvenile Court to develop a program to evaluate and treat juveniles charged with minor sexual offenses for the first time. That program existed until 1985. In 1985, the Program instituted the Advocate Juvenile Drug and Alcohol Project, which dealt with first time juvenile offenders charged with substance related crimes. In 1992, Juvenile classes were expanded to areas of Weapons, Shoplifting, and Anger Control, all at no cost to the offender. In 1989, the Advocate Program, in conjunction with the Courts’ Metro Mediation Services, began the Victim Offender Mediation Program (VOMP) in Juvenile Court, where an attempt was made to bring a juvenile offender and his victim together in a mediation conference. The program then supervised the juvenile offender to ensure compliance with the terms of the mediation agreement.
Domestic Violence Assessment/Supervision Unit
This program was created in November of 1992 in conjunction with the Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s new Domestic Violence Court. Defendants charged with misdemeanors relating to Domestic Violence, or respondents in Civil Injunction cases can be referred to Advocate Program’s Domestic Violence Assessment/Supervision Unit. Clients are assessed by state certified assessors, and based on their financial ability to pay for treatment, are referred to court contracted treatment providers or the county’s indigent program. The Program has the responsibility of supervising all clients and reporting back to the referring court. The Advocate Program’s Domestic Violence Assessment/Supervision Unit is the centralized assessment agency for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s Domestic Violence Court.
D.U.I. School
This state-licensed program was started in 1995 to provide the required DUI services to court ordered and voluntary clients in Miami-Dade County. These services include registration, evaluation, education, and referral to treatment when indicated. The Level One course for first time offenders consists of twelve hours of substance abuse, human physiology, and Florida DUI and traffic law information. The Level Two course, for second or multiple offenders, consists of twenty-one hours of similar material in a small group discussion format. Treatment referrals are made when indicated, to DCF Licensed counseling agencies that provide documentation of treatment success. Special Supervision Services are also offered on a voluntary basis for DUI offenders who have licenses revoked for five years or more. This Program allows them to drive with a restricted permit, so long as they report monthly to the program.
ACTT
The Advocate Center for Training and Treatment (ACTT) is a multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional professional training institute created by the Advocate Program, Inc. in 2001 and partially funded by the Miami Dade County Alliance for Human Services. It is designed to meet the needs of victims of Domestic Violence, Rape, and Sexual Assault. Licensed Professionals staff the treatment component of ACTT, with masters degrees in mental health, marriage and family therapy, and social work. The staff has extensive experience and training in mental health, substance abuse treatment, domestic violence, anger control, and parenting skills.
Program History
The Advocate Program, Inc. is a private not-for-profit agency offering structured probation, traditional probation, diversion and community service programs to the Courts of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit (Miami-Dade County, Florida), both adult and juvenile. Additionally the Program operates a Licensed D.U.I. School.
History of Funding
Begun in 1971 to provide group counseling for traffic offenders, the Program was funded though grants from both private and federal funds. In 1975, after the Florida Department of Corrections' probation supervision was restricted to felony defendants, all pending Miami-Dade County misdemeanor probation cases were transferred to the Program. At the same time, the Program developed the Alternative Service Project, one of the first organized efforts in Florida to refer and supervise offenders in community service placements. The Advocate Program then incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida as a not-for-profit corporation, established a Board of Directors, and decided to obtain it's financial support strictly from client fees. That decision is still the overriding philosophy of the Program: that offenders, not taxpayers should pay for the opportunity to avoid conviction, fine or incarceration. In 1991, and continuing since then, a contract was negotiated with Miami-Dade County (at no cost to the County) to continue to provide misdemeanor probation services to the County Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.
Misdemeanor Pretrial Diversion
In 1978, the Program was asked by the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office to develop a pretrial diversion program for misdemeanants similar to the Pretrial Intervention program operating under the auspices of the office (which later became the model for the state-wide Department of Corrections Pretrial Intervention Program). In 1990, at the request of the Chief Judge, the criteria for misdemeanor pretrial diversion was expanded, through the efforts of the State Attorney's Office and the Miami-Dade Chiefs of Police, to develop more extensive supervision and programming for defendants who ere not necessarily true first offenders.
Expansion to include Felony Diversion
In 1980, the State Attorney's Office asked the Program to develop a diversion program for Carrying Concealed Firearm felony cases. In the mid-1980's, the State Attorney's Office began referring other, less specific types of felony diversion cases to the Advocate Program.
Expansion to include Juvenile Service
In 1984, the program was asked by the Juvenile Court to develop a program to evaluate and treat juveniles charged with minor sexual offenses for the first time. That program existed until 1985. In 1985, the Program instituted the Advocate Juvenile Drug and Alcohol Project, which dealt with first time juvenile offenders charged with substance related crimes. In 1992, Juvenile classes were expanded to areas of Weapons, Shoplifting, and Anger Control, all at no cost to the offender. In 1989, the Advocate Program, in conjunction with the Courts’ Metro Mediation Services, began the Victim Offender Mediation Program (VOMP) in Juvenile Court, where an attempt was made to bring a juvenile offender and his victim together in a mediation conference. The program then supervised the juvenile offender to ensure compliance with the terms of the mediation agreement.
Domestic Violence Assessment/Supervision Unit
This program was created in November of 1992 in conjunction with the Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s new Domestic Violence Court. Defendants charged with misdemeanors relating to Domestic Violence, or respondents in Civil Injunction cases can be referred to Advocate Program’s Domestic Violence Assessment/Supervision Unit. Clients are assessed by state certified assessors, and based on their financial ability to pay for treatment, are referred to court contracted treatment providers or the county’s indigent program. The Program has the responsibility of supervising all clients and reporting back to the referring court. The Advocate Program’s Domestic Violence Assessment/Supervision Unit is the centralized assessment agency for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit’s Domestic Violence Court.
D.U.I. School
This state-licensed program was started in 1995 to provide the required DUI services to court ordered and voluntary clients in Miami-Dade County. These services include registration, evaluation, education, and referral to treatment when indicated. The Level One course for first time offenders consists of twelve hours of substance abuse, human physiology, and Florida DUI and traffic law information. The Level Two course, for second or multiple offenders, consists of twenty-one hours of similar material in a small group discussion format. Treatment referrals are made when indicated, to DCF Licensed counseling agencies that provide documentation of treatment success. Special Supervision Services are also offered on a voluntary basis for DUI offenders who have licenses revoked for five years or more. This Program allows them to drive with a restricted permit, so long as they report monthly to the program.
ACTT
The Advocate Center for Training and Treatment (ACTT) is a multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional professional training institute created by the Advocate Program, Inc. in 2001 and partially funded by the Miami Dade County Alliance for Human Services. It is designed to meet the needs of victims of Domestic Violence, Rape, and Sexual Assault. Licensed Professionals staff the treatment component of ACTT, with masters degrees in mental health, marriage and family therapy, and social work. The staff has extensive experience and training in mental health, substance abuse treatment, domestic violence, anger control, and parenting skills.
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