Junior Thrivers Program (JTP)

Community safety

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Our caseload includes 300+ individuals from all age groups and ethnicities seeking care for situations based in or around Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence (DV/IPV). How do we stop the issue of domestic violence? Through youth prevention. In a survey completed in 2023, many of our clients reported experienced child abuse. In 2022, we introduced our Healthy Relationships workshop for youth, also known as, Project: CJ, reaching 170+ youth, ages 12 to 24. We learned there is a need for increased exposure in the TAY population to properly identify unhealthy relationships and how to remove themselves safely from that relationship, whether it is themselves or a friend that is experiencing that relationship. We also learned that many of the students have a desire for higher education lack the resources needed to get there. Due to these factors that contribute to our TAY population, we began offering student financial scholarships to assist these overlooked students.

Workshops: "Project: CJ" is a project dedicated to ending teen dating violence named in honor of teen dating/gun violence victim Caleb James. This project speaks to nine (9) principles which help youth identify healthy & unhealthy relationship characteristics firsthand or as a bystander: Equity, Power and Control/Gender Neutral, Cycle of Violence, Boundaries, Effective Communication, Conflict Resolution, Bystander Intervention, Self-Care, Emotional/Mental Stability. "Becoming a Man Through Respecting Women" is a workshop that aims to reach 15 young men through male-led facilitation, activity, and mentorship.
The Thriving Youth Retreat combines several elements of life skills that involve Suicide Awareness & Prevention, Scenarios of Teen Dating/Bystander Intervention. Introspection and emotional literacy exercises are facilitated by our Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW). Career Development: We offer three (3) internships each fall, spring and summer semesters. Our internships consist of learning practical application of office etiquette, email writing, answering phones calls in a professional manner, basic software computer skills, and community outreach training. This opportunity includes a stipend for each student at the completion of the internship. Scholarship: We host an essay contest, where the students are tasked with writing about "Perseverance in an Unhealthy Relationship." The winners receive scholarships ranging from $250-1000.

When students do not have opportunities for academic and career growth, it increases their likelihood for early pregnancy, drug use, drop-out and continuing the cycle of Domestic Violence/ Intimate Partner Violence. Our program reaches more students through interpersonal connection, mentorship/advocacy, skill building and gives them a place to belong. This carefully cultivated environment gathers trust from the TAY population and provides an outlet to become more informed and introduces topics that are not spoken about in their daily environment. LA County will have a healthier economic future, increased community safety and more students pursuing higher education upon the success of our program, by destigmatizing societal norms, eliminating the glorification of toxic relationships and highlighting the impact of a healthy two-parent home and providing life/career tools and funds for school.

Upon completion of our previous workshops, our facilitators have encountered a continual flow of students through a process of self-selection that request a private and more detailed conversation around the topics discussed, in many cases the youth participants will share devastating testimonies about their past personal experiences with trauma and abuse. In previous years, we took notes and collectively shared the feedback during the post workshop review. Moving forward we plan to utilize more formal innovative technological measures to collect data through survey applications (i.e., Survey Monkey). Additionally, TAY participants over 18 will be asked to anonymously complete the ACE (advanced childhood experiences) questionnaire and we will incentivize them with a small dollar gift card or restaurant gift card. The evidence collected from the surveys and questionnaires will provide objective evidence supporting the need for programs such as The Junior Thrivers Program.