The Fresh Start Program is an alternative to incarceration (ATI) and intervention program designed to provide leadership tools and mentors that will help guide youth in making positive decisions as individuals and as a team as they continue life in mainstream society. 

Fresh Start allows its participants to engage in peer discussions about every day trials and tribulations such as: parent-child conflict, peer pressure, self-esteem, depression, anger management, alcohol & substance abuse, domestic violence, gangs and gang violence, teen pregnancy and parenting, sex and sex abuse, community involvement, education, independence, leadership and much more.  They are allowed to express themselves freely, however respectfully without judgment from others.  Members will be exposed to various role play workshops and team activities allowing them to "walk a mile in someone else's shoes".  This increases their awareness in what their peers are going through and learn how to handle various social challenges in positive and productive ways. 

Fresh Start provides an outlet for personal development.  The program is comprised of four components: Life Skills, Assessments, Individual Sessions, and Community Service.

·  Life Skills:  MYDC provides life skills component allows the participants to engage in open discussion based on the participants challenges and concerns on a day to day basis.  Our trained professionals create an environment where the participants are encouraged to critically think about solutions to these day to day challenges.  We take the approach that no answer is incorrect, but rather a source for further discussion.  Along with the trials and tribulations of daily living we also provide leadership tools and education such as: job readiness, self presentation, public speaking, financial literacy, youth leadership, community outreach, etc.

·  Assessments: MYDC provides a comprehensive assessment for all participants administered by a general evaluator.  These questionnaires are essential in determining the individual needs of each participant.  After the evaluation, if it is determined that they need additional assistance that MYDC can not provide, because of our affiliations with Community Partnership Referral & Resournces (CPRR), we are able to refer them to outside vendors such as: Samaritan Village, Faith Missions, or Daytop, etc.

·  Individuals: After an assessment is completed, it may also be determined that the participant is in need of one on one sessions.  These are hourly one on one sessions where the youth offender is able to express himself and discuss issues in a more intimate and confidential setting.  We have found that some participants open up to additional issues in a more private setting opposed to the peer group environment of the life skills sessions.  Incorporating the one on one with the life skill sessions allows the participants to open up more freely getting to the route of many of their issues.

- Community Service: As a way of giving back to society, each participant is required to perform community service.  Through our affiliations with local churches, schools and businesses we are able to provide a safe environment for each participant to recieve a place to perform community service.