Center Point Ga Inc

TO STRENGTHEN HALL COUNTY STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THROUGH EDUCATION, COUNSELING, MENTORING AND PREVENTION

COUNSELING: OUR COUNSELING PROGRAM PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL, HIGH-QUALITY, MULTICULTURAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN GAINESVILLE AND SURROUNDING AREAS. THEIR GOAL IS TO BE A SAFE PLACE FOR FAMILIES TO EXPERIENCE RECONCILIATION, HOPE AND HEALING. TO THIS END, THE PROGRAM SPECIALIZES IN WORKING WITH CHILDREN, FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS, AND COUPLES ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES WITHIN A CARING AND CONFIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT. IN 2021, 296 NEW CLIENTS WERE SERVED, AND 56 SESSIONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING WERE PROVIDED; 4,814 COUNSELING SESSIONS WERE PROVIDED.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION: OUR SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAMS GOAL IS TO EDUCATE YOUTH TO THE DANGERS OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND OTHER SUBSTANCES TO EQUIP THEM WITH THE KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY TO MAKE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE DECISIONS. DURING 2021, 4,858 WERE SERVED THROUGH THE ALCOHOL PREVENTION AND SOURCES OF STRENGTH PROGRAMS; 671 STUDENTS WERE SERVED IN VARIOUS PROGRAMMING, 306 MIDDLE-SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE SERVED IN TOO GOOD FOR DRUGS. AS OF OCTOBER 2021, THIS PROGRAM LOST ITS ONE SOURCE OF FUNDING, AND THESE PROGRAMS ARE NO LONGER OFFERED SPECIFICALLY BUT RATHER AS A COMPONENT OF THE OTHER PREVENTION WORK OF THE CENTER.

TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION: TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION CONSISTS OF THREE PROGRAMS: 1. CLASSROOM BASED EDUCATION - THIS IS A 14-SESSION CLASSROOM-BASED PROGRAM DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY AND SAFE RELATIONSHIPS AND RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING AMONG TEENS. IT IS CURRENTLY OFFERED TO ALL GAINESVILLE CITY, HALL COUNTY, AND LAKEVIEW ACADEMY 9TH GRADE STUDENTS. THE EVIDENCED- BASED CURRICULUM, CHOOSING THE BEST JOURNEY, EMPOWERS YOUNG PEOPLE TO MAKE SAFE AND POSITIVE CHOICES. LESSONS THAT ARE COVERED INCLUDE: SETTING GOALS, MAKING THE BEST DECISIONS, AVOIDING PREGNANCY, AVOIDING STDS, DEVELOPING THE BEST RELATIONSHIPS, CHOOSING ABSTINENCE UNTIL MARRIAGE, OVERCOMING THE PRESSURE AND BEING ASSERTIVE. IN ADDITION, BABY THINK IT OVER INFANT SIMULATOR DOLLS PROVIDE TEENS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES AND REALITIES OF BEING A TEEN PARENT. DURING 2021, 669 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM AND 312 CLASSES WERE CONDUCTED. 2. PREGNANT & PARENTING SUPPORT & EDUCATION - THIS IS A WEEKLY SUPPORT GROUP FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WHO ARE PREGNANT OR ALREADY HAVE CHILDREN. THESE GROUPS ARE DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE THE STUDENTS TO COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL, REDUCE SUBSEQUENT PREGNANCIES, ENSURE HEALTHY PREGNANCIES AND BABIES, IMPROVE PARENTING SKILLS AND REDUCE EARLY CHILDHOOD ABUSE. DURING 2021, 42 PREGNANT AND/OR PARENTING YOUNG WOMEN WERE SERVED. 3. SMARTGIRLS - THIS IS AN ABSTINENCE-BASED EDUCATION GROUP OFFERED TO ALL HALL COUNTY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS AND LAKEVIEW ACADEMY. THESE GROUPS MEET WEEKLY FOR ONE SEMESTER, SERVING 7 TO 10 GIRLS AT A TIME. THESE GROUPS PROVIDE YOUNG WOMEN WITH THE SKILLS NEEDED TO OVERCOME NEGATIVE PEER PRESSURE, THE TOOLS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THOSE WHO WISH TO EXPLOIT THEM (OFTEN THESE YOUNG WOMEN ARE IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEN AT LEAST FOUR YEARS OLDER THAN THEY) AND THE ESTEEM TO VIEW THEIR FUTURE POTENTIAL ACCURATELY. DURING 2021, 121 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE SERVED AND 138 SESSIONS WERE OFFERED.

OTHER PROGRAMS: WILHEIT STUDENT SERVICES: WILHEIT STUDENT SERVICES PROVIDES SLIDING-SCALE COUNSELING SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS, COUPLES AND FAMILIES. IN 2021, 125 CLIENTS WERE SERVED WITH 107 OF THEM BEING SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WITH NO ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE. 1,027 SESSIONS WERE PROVIDED. WILHEIT SERVICES PROVIDE FREE THERAPEUTIC SERVICES FOR STUDENTS IN THE GAINESVILLE CITY AND HALL COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEMS. THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES IS PROVIDED BY GRADUATE LEVEL INTERNS AND ASSOCIATE LICENSED THERAPISTS THAT ARE CLINICALLY SUPERVISED. MENTORING: OUR MENTOR PROGRAM RECRUITS AND TRAINS CARING ADULTS TO WORK ONE-ON-ONE WITH STUDENTS IN GAINESVILLE CITY, HALL COUNTY SCHOOLS AND BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS. THE MENTORS AGREE TO MEET WITH THEIR STUDENTS ONCE A WEEK FOR THE DURATION OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR AND FOCUS ON IMPROVING ACADEMICS, ATTENDANCE, BEHAVIOR, PEER RELATIONS, AND BONDING WITH SCHOOL. MENTORS RECEIVE A TWO-HOUR TRAINING SESSION AND A BACKGROUND CHECK. ONCE TRAINED, THE MENTOR CHOOSES THE SCHOOL OR CLUB IN WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO SERVE. PROGRAM EVALUATIONS ARE CONSISTENTLY POSITIVE AND DEMONSTRATE STUDENT IMPROVEMENT. IN 2021, 100S WERE SERVED THROUGH THE MENTOR PROGRAM; WITH COVID-19 PROTOCOLS IN THE SCHOOLS, IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR MENTORS TO MEET IN THE SCHOOLS; OTHER MEANS SUCH AS SOCIAL MEDIA WAS USED TO SUPPLEMENT THE PROGRAM DELIVERANCE. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: OUR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM PROVIDES FREE ELECTIVE COURSES IN ACADEMIC RELIGIOUS STUDIES TO STUDENTS AT GAINESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL. COURSES OFFERED INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: BIBLE AND POP CULTURE, THEOLOGY AND FILM, PERSONAL GROWTH AND SPIRITUALITY, AND ETHICS 1 AND 2. 118 STUDENTS WERE ENROLLED DURING 2021.