| Purpose : |
The project will develop and implement an integrated, targeted and evidence-based community program that reduces and prevents the proliferation of gangs in vulnerable Toronto neighbourhoods. The project includes a set of complementary and integrated components designed to facilitate change among gang-involved youth, youth at risk of joining gangs, families of youth who are gang-involved or at risk of gang involvement, and the broader community in vulnerable areas. The program components include:
- An outreach and referral process that is strongly linked to other community resources most likely to have contact with gang-involved and at-risk youth;
- An intake process that incorporates learnings from current research on risk and preventative factors which will also be used to develop an in-depth needs assessment/analysis of referred youth;
- The development and implementation of individual case management plans for youth accepted into the program based on their assessed risk and preventative factors;
- Intensive, group-based training opportunities that support the development of pro-social skills for youth;
- The application and refinement of both practical and pro-social skills in community-identified projects that help strengthen affected neighbourhoods;
- Practical supports for the families of participating youth that will assist them in reducing risk factors and building preventative factors for their youth members; and
- Broader community education, engagement and evaluation activities that increase awareness about gangs and gang prevention.
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