Project Description
PREVENTION/INTERVENTION
Antisocial behaviors can occur at a fairly young age and in some individuals, can lead into juvenile delinquent behaviors. This affects many youths who do not have access to the proper therapy and treatment options, and therefore creates a pipeline to further behaviors and eventually confinement. Prevention and early intervention have been proven to be the most effective ways of stopping this pipeline. The earlier an intervention can happen, the more likely an individual is to change harmful behavior patterns.
As delinquency prevention and intervention programs become more popular and are showing positive results, they are proven to be a good financial investment. With a specific plan made up of different types of therapy for each individual, these programs are able to reach youths before they enter the prison system.
At Fresh Start, participants will be given a multitude of educational materials in order to intervene and prevent further issues. This education and therapy includes:
Gang Involvement
The growth of gangs had doubled over the last three decades and gang activity have expanded beyond the inner city and are now in towns, and rural areas. Half of all gang members in the US are Hispanic, 32% or black, and 11% are Caucasian/white and 7% are other or mixed race. Much of the clinical research on youth gangs has recognized that there are cumulative risk factors that predispose youth to violence and gang involvement including lack of attachment to mental & behavioral health, economic and social deprivation, low neighborhood attachment, community norms favorable to violence, family mismanagement, lack of attachment to school, academic failure and poor pro-social peer involvement.
Gang members don’t experience pro-social activities, like vacationing or withdrawing from gang activities. The result is that their time is spent primarily with their peers in gang related activity or interacting with mass media. If we don’t address it and the next generation of youth faces the same environmental risk factors as their older siblings or parents, we can expect another generation at risk for gang involvement.
Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Intervention
Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences. Substance Use Disorder patterns among youth creates problems at home and school. Young people are more likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol than adults, and these habits could follow them right into the criminal justice system.
Fresh Start believes in Prevention before Intervention. We aim to help the youth develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to make good choices. Fresh Start provides prevention services to the home or school to best meet the needs of those who need it most.
Fresh Start’s “Mind, Body, Soul” approach develops a “wholistic” view on the problem, showing how Substance Use affects every part of your life. Fresh Start provides individual and group substance use disorder counseling with access to referral services for medication management, aftercare, and recovery.
OUR OTHER PROGRAMS
“When we self-regulate well, we are better able to control the trajectory of our emotional lives and resulting actions based on our values and sense of purpose.”