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risk factors and encourage positive pathways for <br />participants. <br />Restorative Community Circles/Meetings <br />Quarterly <br />Law enforcement partners and community agency <br />representatives will present and engage with NG-YVP <br />participants in RP Community circles. LE will address the <br />impact of COVID and encourage goal setting, build <br />relationships and connections to participants. <br />Linkages: Community mental health <br />Ongoing <br />25% of the 80 NG-YVP participants will be linked to <br />support, participants who have more <br />services for more extensive mental health support. NG- <br />extensive multi -faceted mental health <br />YVP program will assist with transportation and ensure <br />need to consistently engage with mental <br />follow-up of participants. <br />health practitioners to support recovery <br />form COVID-19 struggles. <br />Linkages: Meeting basic needs, in order for <br />Ongoing <br />50% of the 80 NG-YVP participants will be linked to <br />participants to recover from the COVID-19 <br />services to assist them with basic needs such as medical, <br />struggles we must ensure that basic needs <br />food or housing/shelter. NG-YVP program will assist with <br />have been met. Urgent necessities i.e., <br />transportation and ensure follow-up of participants. <br />transportation, food and shelter will also <br />be provided upon need. <br />Culmination Events: Research indicates <br />Twice per <br />NG-YVP participants will receive t-shirts, customized <br />that recognizing progress and growth is <br />year <br />awards, and incentives to recognize outstanding <br />critical in effective youth development <br />participation, follow through and achievements in <br />efforts. (Hawkins & Catalano) <br />program, school, family, and community. Two events will <br />take place where family, law enforcement, and <br />community partners will join to applaud youth efforts. <br />Target Population: <br />The Neutral Ground -Youth Violence Prevention Program is committed to intervening in the lives of youth and young adults who <br />are at -risk for contact with the justice system and to reduce recidivism for those who have already become juvenile justice <br />involved. For justice -involved youth, the opportunity for violence prevention is critical in order to redirect the trajectory of at -risk <br />pathways. The NG-Youth Violence Prevention program will prioritize referrals of at -risk youth who have experienced hardships <br />due to COVID-19. It is important for youth to have the support necessary to build hope, confidence, and a future that is stable <br />and safe. The NG-YVP will provide urgent support through case management services which will foster resilience, mental and <br />physical stability, reduce economic/social barriers, increase family connectedness and support safety and security throughout <br />violence prone environments. A lack of stability in the environment from involvement in the justice system increases the social <br />instabilities and family dysfunctions and experiences. (OJJDP, 2010; OJJDP, 2018; Watson et al., 2020). Our diverse community <br />unfortunately suffers economically; 91% of students are classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged; 99% of its students are of <br />minority status (96% Hispanic, 1% White, 1% Asian, 1% African American), 60% of students are classified as English Language <br />Learners and the special education rate is 12% which is among the highest of Orange County school districts. On the average, <br />86% of the students qualify for Free and reduced Lunch Programs. The COVID-19 pandemic has created struggles with changes <br />to the on-line learning, job, health, and food insecurities that impact the daily lives of this population. <br />Due to persistent risk factors across all aspects of life, youth within the qualified service tract are among the highest need for <br />mental health support, substance abuse disorder treatment and restorative practices. Research indicates that untreated mental <br />health disorders lead to higher rates of juvenile incarcerations, aggression, school dropout, family dysfunction, and drug abuse. A <br />Youth Violence Prevention program is therefore needed to serve this population and their families to reduce barriers that are <br />further increasing these disparities. To be effective, it is imperative to provide guidance, social -emotional support, hope and a <br />pathway toward change. Prevention is critical to promoting peace and ending the cycles of victimization. <br />3. Unmet Need <br />The social determinants of health such as generational poverty, violence, addiction, and delinquency that have impacted this <br />community adds to the social vulnerability this community represents (CDC, 2021). As the research states above, this population <br />has faced tremendous barriers to connecting and sustaining their engagement with many programs due to geographic <br />distances/transportation challenges, cultural disconnects and dissonance, language barriers as well as collective generational <br />trauma (Watson et al., 2020). In Orange County, Santa Ana has the largest percentage of felony (20%) and misdemeanor (16%) <br />arrests. Gang <br />