The Phoenix HOPE Foundation

Featured Partner

The services provided by The Phoenix HOPE Foundation will:

Be the first private organization to promote and foster a professional alliance with local government agencies to provide a viable faith-based, family environment, and community support for its at-risk, delinquent, and post-committed youth.

Display an atmosphere of care and concern going beyond the mandated commitment period and reach out to the family system as a whole.

Project a pro-active approach to reducing recidivism and substance abuse relapse by developing partnerships and innovative strategies to enhance outcomes of post-committed youth, thus reducing substance abuse relapse and crimes committed by these juvenile offenders in Polk, Highlands, and Hardee Counties.

Project a pro-active approach to prevent crime and substance use in the juvenile population of Polk, Highlands, and Hardee Counties.

Promote healthy family system development and maintenance.

Provide educational support to enhance positive academic outcomes and literacy for at-risk youth.

The Phoenix HOPE Foundation, Inc. Founders and Members:

We are the community. We are mothers, fathers, professionals, taxpayers, and community leaders, who passionately seek and want more for our community and fellow citizens. We are concerned about the availability and effectiveness of services for youth who have successfully completed the Polk County S.T.A.R. Program and other commitment programs and are subsequently returning to their families and communities without the proper support available to them.

Specifically, Connie Zink, MA LMHC and Erica Allen, BA, longtime residents of Polk County, are the founders of The Phoenix HOPE Foundation, Inc. Ms. Zink and Mrs. Allen are also the directors of Phoenix Clinical Services, Inc., the contracted agency who provides Mental Health and Substance Abuse treatment services at the Polk County S.T.A.R. Program. Ms. Zink and Mrs. Allen have a combined total of 32 years experience working with disabled youth, at-risk youth, and juvenile offenders as well as with their families. Ms. Zink and Mrs. Allen have been specifically involved in providing clinical and case management services to the Polk County S.T.A.R. Program for a combined total of 8 years.

Erica Allen, President/CEO of The Phoenix HOPE Foundation, Inc., is also a certified teacher with the Florida Department of Education specializing in Learning Disabilities (Kindergarten through 12th grade) and a certified Behavior Analyst Assistant. Mrs. Allen has worked in the Polk County school system developing specialized behavioral interventions for adolescent youth while teaching life, social, and vocational skills. Additionally, Mrs. Allen is experienced in working with delinquent youth not only in the Polk County S.T.A.R. Program, but also at the Juvenile Assessment Center, the Polk Halfway House, and Polk Regional Juvenile Detention Center where she acted as the Exceptional Student Education Coordinator. While working at the Polk County Juvenile Boot Camp, she piloted a special projects team which redeveloped the model for the current Transition program. Currently, Mrs. Allen is the Mental Health Services Administrator for Phoenix Clinical Services, Inc., and has been the Restorative Justice Coordinator at the Polk County S.T.A.R. Program for the past two years. Mrs. Allen has been proactive in addressing victim issues with Cadets and Residents within the program. Mrs. Allen actively facilitates the scheduling of events and projects to help these youth be involved in giving back to the community as well as providing the youth opportunities to understand the impact of their negative choices and repair the harm they have caused. Mrs. Allen was recently awarded the Meritorious Service Medal from Sheriff Grady Judd for her commitment to quality Mental Health and Substance Abuse services at the Polk County S.T.A.R. Program

Connie Zink, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, is the acting Vice President of The Phoenix HOPE Foundation, Inc. Ms. Zink is currently the Clinical Director of Phoenix Clinical Services at the Polk County S.T.A.R. Program and previously served as the Lead Clinician/Clinical Supervisor at the Polk County Juvenile Boot Camp for three years. Ms. Zink additionally has experience working with delinquent youth at the Polk Regional Juvenile Detention Center and other residential facilities to include the Polk Halfway House and Bradley Manor. At the Polk Regional Juvenile Detention Center, Ms. Zink provided educational instruction and life/social skills training. At the Polk Halfway House, Ms. Zink served as the Transition Specialist, providing guidance support services, vocational planning, and transition development. At Bradley Manor, Ms. Zink provided case management services and facilitated family counseling sessions to promote stable reunification with caregivers and the community. Moreover, Ms. Zink previously was contracted by the Department of Children and Families to complete Comprehensive Behavioral Health Assessments on behalf of dependent children (ages 0 - 21) in the states care. Ms. Zink's assessments for the Department of Children and Families provided the needed framework for delivery of foster care services, such as mental health/substance abuse treatment, psychiatric services, medical services, developmental testing, educational support, vocational planning, job placement, and recreational options.

Alyce Badcock has been appointed to The Phoenix HOPE Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors and she is serving as the current Treasurer of the foundation. Mrs. Badcock has formerly worked as an educator with middle school youth being served in Exceptional Student Education programs for ten years. Mrs. Badcock currently serves of the Polk County Sheriff's S.T.A.R. Program advisory counsel, works with faith-based ministries at the Polk County Jail and is a volunteer with her church youth program.

Eric Holm currently serves The Phoenix HOPE Foundation, Inc. as the Director of the Board. Mr. Holm is also employed by The Phoenix HOPE Foundation, Inc. as the Residential Coordinator and will be living in the Phoenix HOPE House providing daily guidance and support to the young men living there. He has served as a missionary with Youth for Christ and has worked with at risk youth for 8 years. Mr. Holm is also the Chairperson for the Polk Regional Juvenile Detention Center Advisory Board. On his own time, Mr. Holm volunteers as a Polk County Firefighter.

Teressa Sample, Advisory Counsel Chairperson for The Phoenix HOPE Foundation, Inc., is also the administrator of the Polk County Sheriff's S.T.A.R. Program Conditional Release unit. Mrs. Sample has served the Polk County Sheriff's Office for 25 years and has worked at the Polk County Juvenile Boot Camp for the past 11 years. Ms. Sample serves on many boards and is currently the President of the Drug Prevention Resource Center, President of the American Business Woman's Association, Downtown Lakeland Chapter, Secretary for the Juvenile Justice Board of Polk, Highlands, and Hardee Counties and works on many other juvenile related committees.