SERVICES
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
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LEADERSHIP TRAINING
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
AND ADVOCACY
Participants also receive our comprehensive training curriculum that incudes all necessary samples, forms, and legal paperwork required for a sustainable community outreach program.
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Ground rules provide sense of structure for the group that allows for a productive conversation. They provide for sense of comfort and confidentiality.
YOUTH-LED DISCUSSIONS AND WORKSHOPS
Life Skills Education, Individual and/or Classes
Includes education on issues such as
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community awareness/resources
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banking option
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diabetic education
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crime prevention
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sensory development
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self-esteem building
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self-advocacy
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peer support
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assertiveness training
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emergency first-aid
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product information
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stress management
LIFE SKILLS CENTER:
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Tutoring services.
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Vocational placement.
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Career planning.
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College resources.
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GED preparation and testing.
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Educational testing and assessments.
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Books and supplies for specialized classes.
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Transportation.
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Summer School
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School sponsored educational field trips.
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College Preparation
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SAT/ACT preparation classes.
Mental health counseling
Internet Safety
Seven Steps to Good Digital Parenting
Parenting today's tech savvy kids can seem overwhelming. But you can do it! Take these seven simple, though still challenging steps, to becoming a good digital parent.
Information, education and referral
Crisis intervention
Undivided Attention
When people are paid attention to they feel validated; they feel important. The converse is also true: people feel less important and sometimes feel they need to up the ante if they feel like they need attention. Paying attention doesn't just mean saying, "I'm listening." It means looking at the person, making eye contact if it's culturally appropriate, and virtually listening with the entire body. By really listening, and conveying that through body language as well as words, an officer can take away the person's reason for escalating the situation.
Be Nonjudgmental
If someone says, "The sewers are talking to me," an officer's immediate reaction might be to think that the person is crazy. That reaction, especially if verbalized, will probably upset the individual even more. Even if not said aloud, that attitude may be conveyed through the officer's body language. If someone is psychotic, she may tune into the nonverbal communication much more than words. So besides paying attention to what is said, ensure that body language and tone are nonjudgmental as well. This will go a lot further in calming the individual.
Focus on Feelings
Going back to the previous example, if an individual says, "The sewers are talking to me," a feeling response might be, "That must be pretty scary," or even, "Tell me what that feels like." This isn't getting into a therapist's bailiwick, but it is using a handy therapeutic tool. Most likely it will elicit a response that is positive, since the individual will know that the officer understands what's happening.
Allow Silence
As people devoted to protecting and serving, officers are quite comfortable using silence during interrogations, but may not be quite so comfortable using it on the street. Officers want to make sure the incident is handled quickly and peacefully. However, sometimes allowing that moment of silence can be the best choice.
If the individual doesn't immediately answer a question, it doesn't mean he didn't hear you. It may mean he's thinking about his answer, or even that he wants to make sure he's saying the right thing.