The year was 1984, a group of concerned individuals representing a broad cross section of the West County community came together to express their outrage and concern about an intolerable level of violence that had suddenly infected our community, hit especially hard were our young men!
The goal then was to address the systemic causes of the violence that plagued our West County communities. We envisioned the creation of a family service delivery system that would improve the coordination of services to the children, youth and families primarily residing in Richmond, San Pablo, El Cerrito and the other unincorporated areas of West County.
Formally established as a non-profit agency in 1985, inter-agency collaboration was then and continues to be a guiding principle of the Bureau. Our initial partners in this endeavor was the West Contra Costa Unified School District, the Contra Costa County Probation Department (Juvenile Division), the Employment and Training Department (formerly called the Department of Social Services), Richmond, El Cerrito and San Pablo police departments, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department and several other local community-based organizations. As we have grown and expanded our services county-wide, our list of partners has also increased.
The Bureau's mission and operational philosophy is directed toward the achievement of four basic goals:
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coordination of a community/justice support system;
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implementation of a delinquency prevention/restorative justice Continuum of Care;
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promote academic/educational achievement and success; and
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provide family enhancement support services
These goals drive Bureau efforts to provide services to our clients, their families and the community. They are also significant in our promise to those that provide support to the Bureau as we continue our attempts to improve the wellness of the community.
