Take Charge Program

The Take Charge Juvenile Diversion Program, Inc., is a collaborative community-based 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Forestville, Maryland that has developed an exemplary and enviable record of providing services to at-risk youth through a variety of program and supportive services that it manages and funds through private, government and local grants.  Since its founding in 1990 by community leader and social service professional Shaar Mustaf, the Take Charge Program has been providing individual and group counseling to at-risk youth and their families, serving as an alternative to detention, providing juvenile prevention and intervention, behavior modification coupled with family counseling and family strengthening services. The Take Charge Program has received widespread acclaim for providing crime prevention services in the state of Maryland as demonstrated through Prince George’s County Department of Juvenile Services recidivism audits.  During the past four (4) years audit data has shown that the Take Charge Program graduates achieve a 90% non-recidivism rate for all programs, perhaps the best rate in the entire state and among the best records of achievement in the nation.

The organization has gained widespread recognition for helping to turn around the lives of troubled and low-income youth as well as working with homeless and prison populations under the leadership of respected civic leader Shaar Mustaf, who started the program some 18 years ago after recognizing there were few organizations totally committed to changing the lives of wrong track, wayward juveniles once they came in contact with the criminal justice system. During that time, the Take Charge Program has developed a niche that it has served well. The vision of Mr. Mustaf is to rebuild the lives of youth whose lives have been broken through the vestiges and debilitating impact of criminal behavior.

Take Charge Program has developed a widespread reputation for producing and implementing powerful programs that can be used as mechanisms for change for those who have been overlooked and neglected by wider society. Take Charge Program has seasoned professionals on our staff, including educators, social service and mental health professionals, counselors, technology experts and grassroots civic leaders, which make the organization uniquely qualified to provide a high level of service to program participants.