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Gang Alternative (GA): Non-Profit Organization In Little Haiti Miami

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Reaction Paper to Guest Speakers
Gang Alternative (GA) is a non-profit organization in Little Haiti Miami. GA works with the youth as an alternative model to help children forming character and personality that last. GA empower the youth through faith-based initiatives, positive alternatives to youth violence, and delinquency by providing a holistic approach to their academic, physical, social, spiritual and family growth.GA service programs includes Guiding the Path to Success (GPS), Building Leaders of Character (BLOC), Youth Excellence Program (YEP), Uplift Little Haiti (UPLIFT), Youth Splash and Kids Splash (YSKS), and Urban Partnership Drug-Free Community Coalition (UPD FCC). GA started as a youth ministry. ( Gang Alternative [GA], n. …show more content…

JCC realizes the impact of trauma on staff, families and children; It recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, and JCC takes action to respond adequately and integrate the knowledge of trauma into their practice. GA and JCC seek to help their staff and clients from traumatization (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration [SAMHSA], 2015). For example, R. Paul (personal communication, April 25, 2015) stated that GA lack trauma professionals to help and support the youth. Therefore, GA works together with the Uplift Little Haiti and professional clinical social workers who help the children to address their trauma issues. JCC has a program for staff and employees where they come together to discuss and share about what is going on in their personal life and work environment. Also, JCC analyzes and evaluates what is life-giving through peer support environment. Furthermore, JCC has a special program every year, of trauma training for their case managers, T. Gaynor (Personal Communication, April 25, 2017). Therefore, GA and JCC are “sensitive to the reality of traumatic experiences” in the lives of the children, parents, staff, administration, youths, families and the community. (Bloom & Sreedhar, 2008, p.50). GA and JCC have an organizational system and treatment framework that includes recognizing, understanding, and responding to the impacts of all forms of trauma. They provide fundamental principles of trauma: “safety, peer support, trustworthiness, collaboration, mutuality, empowerment, voice, choice, and cultural(SAMHSA,

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