Odyssey Family Counseling Center Corporation

THE CASES PROJECT WILL SUPPORT AND EXPAND ON PROMOTING A POSITIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND INCREASE SCHOOL SAFETY BY PROVIDING EVIDENCE-BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION TRAINING FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS SERVING AT THE SCHOOLS. THE SPECIFIC PROGRAM OBJECTIVES THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED TOWARDS ACHIEVING THIS GOAL INCLUDE: OBJECTIVE 1) TO ESTABLISH A SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION COALITION INVOLVING STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS AND OTHER SCHOOL STAFF MEMBERS, VIOLENCE PREVENTION INVOLVED COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND CASES PROGRAM STAFF MEMBERS TO MEET MONTHLY THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT, AS ASSESSES BY A REVIEW OF COALITION MEETING ATTENDANCE RECORDS. OBJECTIVE 2) TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION TRAINING FOR AT LEAST 150 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING PROJECT YEAR 1, AND 225 EACH DURING YEARS 2 AND 3, FOR A TOTAL OF AT LEAST 600 STUDENTS OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM, AS ASSESSED BY A REVIEW OF TRAINING ATTENDANCE RECORDS. OBJECTIVE 3) TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION VIA MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING FOR AT LEAST 30 TEACHERS, OTHER SCHOOL STAFF MEMBERS OR VOLUNTEERS EACH PROJECT YEAR, FOR A TOTAL OF AT LEAST 90 INDIVIDUALS OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM, AS ASSESSED BY A REVIEW OF TRAINING ATTENDANCE RECORDS. OBJECTIVE 4) TO RECRUIT, TRAIN OR MAINTAIN AT LEAST 4 STUDENTS AS PEER EDUCATORS EACH PROJECT YEAR TO WORK WITHIN THE SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY TO REINFORCE AND FURTHER DISSEMINATE THE MESSAGE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION EACH PROJECT YEAR, IN ADDITION TO SERVING ON THE CASES COMMUNITY COALITION, AS ASSESSED BY A REVIEW OF PEER EDUCATOR TRAINING RECORDS. OBJECTIVE 5) TO HAVE ALL TRAINED TEACHERS AND OTHER ADULTS IN MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WORK THROUGH THE SCHOOLS AND THE CASES CASE MANAGER TO MAKE REFERRALS TO MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS AND FOR OTHER NEEDED SERVICES, AS ASSESSED VIA A QUARTERLY REVIEW OF THE FILES OF THE CASE MANAGER.

ODYSSEY FAMILY COUNSELING CENTER (OFCC) AND THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE TEACHING HOLISTIC RESPONSES & INFORMATION FOR VIOLENCE ELIMINATION (THRIVE) PROJECT ARE COMMITTED TO ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO “THRIVE” FOR VIOLENCE PREVENTION IN SCHOOLS AND THEIR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF ATLANTA.  ATLANTA EXPERIENCES SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF VIOLENCE THAT SPILLS OVER INTO THE SCHOOLS ATTENDED BY THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH BEING EDUCATED THERE.  THE THRIVE PROJECT WILL SERVE THE ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS (APS), A LARGE URBAN SCHOOL SYSTEM IN NORTH GEORGIA. ON A SURVEY COLLECTED FOR THE 2019 SCHOOL YEAR ON QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE LAST 30 DAYS, 55% OF STUDENTS REPORTED BEING PICKED ON OR TEASED, AND 55% SAID THEY WERE BULLIED OR THREATENED.  ON A QUESTION CONCERNING HAVING BEEN IN A PHYSICAL FIGHT ON SCHOOL PROPERTY IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, 72% CONFIRMED 1-2 OCCASIONS, 15% SAID 3-5 OCCASIONS, AND 13% CONFIRMED 5 OR MORE OCCASIONS.  THE SPECIFIC PROGRAM OBJECTIVES THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED TOWARDS ACHIEVING PROGRAM SUCCESS WILL INCLUDE:     OBJECTIVE 1) TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION TRAINING FOR AT LEAST 300 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING PROJECT YEAR 1, AND 450 EACH DURING YEARS 2 AND 3, FOR A TOTAL OF AT LEAST 1,200 STUDENTS OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM, AS ASSESSED BY A REVIEW OF TRAINING ATTENDANCE RECORDS.      OBJECTIVE 2) TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED VIOLENCE PREVENTION VIA MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS TRAINING FOR AT LEAST 30 TEACHERS EACH PROJECT YEAR, FOR A TOTAL OF AT LEAST 90 TEACHERS OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM, AS ASSESSED BY A REVIEW OF TRAINING ATTENDANCE RECORDS.       OBJECTIVE 3) TO RECRUIT, TRAIN OR MAINTAIN AT LEAST 8 STUDENTS AS PEER EDUCATORS EACH PROJECT YEAR TO WORK WITHIN THE SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY TO REINFORCE AND FURTHER DISSEMINATE THE MESSAGE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION EACH PROJECT YEAR, AS ASSESSED BY A REVIEW OF PEER EDUCATOR TRAINING RECORDS.      OBJECTIVE 4) TO HAVE ALL TRAINED TEACHERS AND OTHER ADULTS IN MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WORK THROUGH THE SCHOOLS TO MAKE REFERRALS TO MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS, AS ASSESSED VIA A QUARTERLY REVIEW OF THE FILES OF THE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINER.