Angels At Risk

AS A COMMUNITY, THE ISSUE OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE AND ABUSE IN KIDS, TEENAGERS AND FAMILIES IS AN EPIDEMIC CRISIS. WE KNOW THAT EARLY EDUCATION, PREVENTION, AND INTERVENTION CAN CHANGE FAMILIES' FUTURES FOREVER. OUR MISSION IS TO RAISE THIS AWARENESS. OUR ANGELS AT RISK EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ARE DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION ON A PARENT TO PARENT, KID TO KID, TEEN TO TEEN AND PARENTS TO KID/TEEN LEVEL. OUR WISH IS TO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN MAKE A SHIFT IN THE PARADIGM OF MENTAL HEALTH BY ADDING PREVENTION EDUCATION UNDER SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN ALL SCHOOLS, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES FROM EVERY PLATFORM WOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER LIFE IN THIS COUNTRY, IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND IN THEIR HOMES.

ANGELS AT RISK'S PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR EACH OF ITS THREE LARGEST PROGRAM SERVICES ARE MANY. OF THE 7 MODALITIES (PROGRAM SERVICES) THAT WE OFFER (PARENT-TEEN PROGRAM, CLASSROOM COUNSELOR PROGRAM, LUNCHTIME PROGRAM, TRAININGS, GENERATING PUBLIC AWARENESS, COLLABORATION, AND ALLIANCES WITH COMMUNITY RESOURCES), THE MOST ACTIVE MODALITIES CONTINUE TO BE THE BELOW 3 PROGRAM SERVICES: MODALITY #2. COUNSELORS FOR CAMPUS SUPPORT, CLASSROOM SPEAKERS, SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES FOR PARENTS AND SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES FOR KIDS (PARENT/FAMILY ELEMENT)MODALITY #3. LUNCHTIME AND AFTER SCHOOL PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS (PARENT/FAMILY ELEMENT)MODALITY #4. WE FACILITATE TRAININGS AND IN-SERVICE WORKSHOPS (TEACHERS/PTSA/POLICE/COMMUNITY RESOURCES) (PARENT/FAMILY ELEMENT).EACH OF OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES/MODALITIES HAVE A PROFOUND DIRECT AND INDIRECT IMPACT ON THE KIDS, PARENTS, FAMILIES, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, COUNSELORS, SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ARE ALL BASED IN STORYTELLING WITH EDUCATION THAT ILLUMINATES AWARENESS, CREATES A SNAPSHOT THAT COULD SAVE THE DAY AND THUS PRODUCES EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (TO DATE, OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES SUCCESSFULLY TRANSLATE TO A VIRTUAL FORMAT). FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS, SINCE 1997, OUR PREVENTION EDUCATION CURRICULUM HAS BEEN ACCEPTED AND CHAMPIONED BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES BOTH RICH AND POOR . PERHAPS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT ANGELS AT RISK HAS SUBSTANTIATED IS THE CLEAR ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND UNDERSTANDING OF OUR REPUTATION OF SEL/SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING-BASED PREVENTION EDUCATION. OUR REPUTATION AND PLATFORM OF DIRECT SERVICES AND SEL IS UNIQUE AND WHILE INTELLECTUAL INFORMATION HAS ITS OWN POSITION, WE BELIEVE THAT THE VALUE OF STORYTELLING WITH EDUCATION IS UNPRECEDENTED AND PRICELESS. EVEN THE CURRICULUM OF NOTES FROM THE HEART/WISHES FROM THE HEART IS SEL. EACH NOTE TELLS A STORY AND LOANS BOTH A PERSONAL AND UNIVERSAL VOICE. THE OPTIMISTIC CAUTIONARY TALES ARE YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SEL. EACH TALE TEACHES A LIFE LESION AND HAS A VOICE THAT IS ALSO SPECIFIC AND UNIVERSAL. MORE SPECIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE LENGTHY AND CURRENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN DETAIL ARE UPON REQUEST AND FOLLOW THE GENERAL GUIDELINES OF WHAT OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ENVELOP IN THE SEVEN MODALITIES BELOW. WHILE WE CONTINUE THE BASIC PROGRAMS WE HAVE HAD SINCE 1997 AND WHILE WE CONTINUE TO STREAMLINE OUR 7 MODALITIES AND OUR SIMPLE CUTTING-EDGE CURRICULUM OUR ACTIVITIES VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR REGARDLESS. THIS PAST YEAR, WE HAVE PERFECTED AND UPDATED OUR CURRICULUM TO BETTER SEAMLESSLY TRANSLATE TO AN ONLINE ZOOM EXPERIENCE THAT INCLUDES THE STUDENTS, PARENTS, FAMILIES, TEACHERS, COUNSELORS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND THE SCHOOL AS A WHOLE. WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND THIS YEAR, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF A POSSIBILITY OF A PARENT EVENING VIA ZOOM IN 2023 FOR ANIMO LEADERSHIP CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL IN INGLEWOOD, COUPLED WITH ANOTHER MOU FOR THE PRESTIGIOUS GREEN DOT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE EXPANSION AND CONTINUATION OF OUR CROSSROADS MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOL PROGRAM. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAD AN EXCITING ASK AND SIGNED ANOTHER CONTRACT WITH BEVERLY HILLS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (BHUSD) FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR, THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, TO INCLUDE OUR ANGELS AT RISK LUNCHTIME PROGRAMS AND SERVICES (MODALITY #2), WHICH HAS TRULY OPENED THE DOOR TO REINSTATE OUR PARENT-TEEN PROGRAM (MODALITY #3). WE ARE PROUD TO SAY THAT THIS YEAR, ANGELS AT RISK'S SUCCESSES ARE MANY. SOME OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE MEASURED BY AND INCLUDE THE BELOW POINTS: 1. THE IMPACT OF OUR FUNDED PROGRAMS IS INCREDIBLE. OUR MEASURES OF SUCCESS ARE THROUGH OUR CURRICULUM-BASED SURVEYS, STORIES AND CONTINUED REQUESTS BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, FAMILIES, AGENCIES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND COMMUNITIES AS A WHOLE FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS. ALSO, THE RECENT AND CURRENT INVITATIONS FROM LARGER ORGANIZATIONS TO BE INCLUDED IN POLICY ADVOCACY, THEIR VISION AND IDEAS REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH AND DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE AND ABUSE AT A STATE-WIDE AND NATIONAL LEVEL. 2. A BRAND NEW WAY THAT WE MEASURE OUR SUCCESS IS THROUGH THE DIFFERENT REQUESTS AND OVERALL ASK TO VIEW AND UNDERSTAND OUR CURRICULUM AS WELL AS TRAININGS FOR OUR SIMPLE PREVENTION EDUCATION AND HEART-BASED FORMAT WHICH TRANSLATES TO ZOOM.3. ANOTHER WAY WE MEASURE OUR SUCCESS IS THE POST-COVID RE-IMPLEMENTATION, INCLUSION AND ASK FOR OUR PREVENTION EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES IN MANY SCHOOLS LIKE CROSSROADS MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOL, GREEN DOT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND BEVERLY HILLS UNIFIED SCHOOLS DISTRICT (BHUSD). 4. THE SPECIFIC CONTINUED ASK FROM BHUSD IS BIG AS THIS ALSO HELPS OPEN THE DOOR FOR MODALITY #1 TO BE REINTRODUCED ALL VIA A UNIQUE AND CONVENIENT ZOOM EXPERIENCE.5. ADDITIONALLY, WE MEASURE OUR PROGRESS EACH YEAR THROUGH COMPILING DATA COLLECTED THROUGH SURVEYS, ENDORSEMENT LETTERS, IN-SERVICES, STORIES, AND MORE SURVEYS INTO AN EXTENSIVE REPORT THAT IS OFTEN INCLUDED IN OUR SIMPLE CURRICULUM FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, FAMILIES, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. EVEN OUR ANGELS AT RISK 2020 EVENT WAS CURRICULUM AND SURVEY BASED. OUR CURRENT REPORT FOR 2011-2012 IS 45 PAGES OF DATA AND STORIES.6. WE ALSO MEASURE OUR SUCCESS IN ANOTHER UNIQUE WAY. ANGELS AT RISK'S PREVENTION EDUCATION AND INTERVENTION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ENCOURAGE FAMILIES TO GET MORE HELP IN ALL FORMS OF COUNSELING, WHETHER IT BE IN THE SCHOOLS OR OUTSIDE COUNSELING. WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF A JOURNEY. BECAUSE FAMILIES OFTEN REACH OUT FOR FURTHER COUNSELING, WE KNOW THAT WHAT WE DO IS CRUCIAL AND CRITICAL.7. OVER THESE MANY YEARS, ANGELS AT RISK HAS CONTINUED TO BE A VOICE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT EMPHASIZES 3 SIMPLE PREVENTION POINTS: A. CROSSING THE LINE, B. LONELINESS, C. REACHING OUT. OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES CONTINUE TO HELP STUDENTS, PARENTS, FAMILIES, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND THE SCHOOL/COMMUNITY TO DISPEL THE EMBARRASSMENT THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND PREVENTION EDUCATION. OUR MESSAGE ALWAYS TO EVERYONE IS THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND IT'S OKAY TO CONNECT WITH SOMEONE, EVEN IF YOU'RE AFRAID.8. SINCE 1997, WE HAVE MAINTAINED THE STABILITY OF OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES HAVE SEEN GLOWING SUCCESS BECAUSE ALL THE SIMPLE CURRICULUM TRANSLATES VIRTUALLY. THUS, BEING RECOGNIZED AS A "DIRECT SERVICE ORGANIZATION BASED IN "SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL)" VERSUS JUST INTELLECTUAL INFORMATION ALLOWS US TO CREATE A MEMORY AND A SNAPSHOT THAT IS RELATABLE AND CAN SAVE THE DAY. ITS SPECIALTY IS DISTINCT AND UNPARALLELED.SINCE WE ARE A SMALL NONPROFIT WITH A WIDE UMBRELLA, OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES SPAN FROM INGLEWOOD TO MALIBU AND ARE BEST DESCRIBED BELOW. WE GUESSTIMATE, AS SEEN THROUGH OUR DIFFERENT MODALITIES AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, OUR THREE PRIMARY PROGRAM SERVICES, THAT WE DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY IMPACT ROUGHLY 250-500 STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, & PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF STORYTELLING AND WE USE IT IN ALL ELEMENTS AND ASPECTS OF OUR PROGRAMS. IT IS THROUGH STORYTELLING THAT ALL PEOPLE FIND A COMMON GROUND IN THEIR HEARTS. HISTORY HAS PROVEN THAT THE TRUTH AND INNOCENCE OF ALL OUR LIFE STORIES ILLUMINATES HOPE AND GIVES EVERYONE A MEANS TO HELP EACH OTHER. WE ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO SHARE THEIR STORY WITH EACH OTHER. OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE A SNAPSHOT, A MEMORY, A MOMENT OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR FAMILIES TO REACH OUT TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE TRULY BELIEVE IN THE ELEMENT OF DAMAGE CONTROL.OUR EXPERIENCE SHOWS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR KIDS TO GET THROUGH THE MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL YEARS AS UNTAINTED FROM DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AS POSSIBLE. OUR PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY OF THE COMMUNITY BOTH IN PREVENTING SHORT-TERM CRISES AND IN MAINTAINING LONG-TERM SOCIAL STABILITY. ANGELS AT RISK IS A SAFETY NET CATCHING KIDS AND FAMILIES FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS BEFORE THEY FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. SIMPLY PUT, WE MEASURE OUR SUCCESS BY THE STEADFAST REPUTATION WE HAVE GAINED AND SUSTAINED AND BY THE ASTRONOMICALLY GROWING DEMAND FOR OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT WE CANNOT FULFILL DUE TO FUNDING. MOREOVER, WHAT ANGELS AT RISK DOES AND THE TRUTH THAT IT HAS ALWAYS KNOWN IS IN FACT HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER IN OUR AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM.