CIS programs

Voices

CIS will facilitate a girl’s workshop called “Voices”. This program is a program of self-discovery for young girls. Voices encourages girls to seek and celebrate their “true selves” by giving them a safe place, encouragement, structure and support to embrace their important journey of self discovery.

Topics are including but not limited to: Socialization and Identity, Culture and Class, Sexuality, Violence and Aggression, Expression of Risk, Depression, Substance Abuse, Relationship Violence, Eating Disorders, Girls in Juvenile Justice Settings, Teen Mother’s, and Celebrating Strengths just to name a few. The curriculum is gender specific and addresses adolescent girl issues. CIS will facilitate this class with girls referred to by the Lead Agency.

Education for Peace Project

Through this national pilot contract with the U.S. Department of Education, CIS maximizes and blends the most successful elements of our middle school and high school youth programs to improve the academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students and close the academic achievement gap for these students. This program empowers students to successfully complete their education and have healthy non-violent interaction with their peers and fellow students. The program will be carried out with a partnership between teachers, parents, school administration, campus police, Recreation & Park staff and CIS case managers. We will focus initially on three schools in the area, Broadus Elementary (grades 5-6), Maclay Middle (grades 7-8) and San Fernando High (9th). We will serve 30 students, 10 from each school.

Gang Reduction Youth Development (GRYD)

Under two contracts with The Mayors Office, CIS provides community-based gang intervention/violence interruption and crisis response activities (CBGI) along with individualized service provision (ISP) for gang members or gang-involved youth and young adults 14-25. CIS provides CBGI and ISP case management to a minimum of 100 active clients in the Pacoima/Foothill and Panorama/Mission GRYD Zones. Our exceptionally qualified, highly motivated and well trained program practitioners deliver direct services to gang members, gang-involved youth, young adults and their families in line with our wrap-around, integrated service delivery strategy. The wrap-around services include prison outreach, case management, relocation/transition, job training & placement, educational support, tattoo removal, referrals to housing, mental health, substance abuse. We involve community leaders and residents in identifying community resources to help clients exit gangs and engage active gang leaders, members and ex-offenders to achieve non-gang, non-violent lifestyles.

High Risk/High Needs Home Based Program

In partnership with the L.A. County Probation Department, CIS delivers Home-Based Family Support Services in the participant’s home with the goal of developing and fostering effective parenting practices and promoting responsible youth behavior while decreasing delinquent activities. Through a case management approach developed in conjunction with Deputy Probation Officers, CIS builds on the strengths of the family to address identified risk factors and to improve family functioning and community. CIS advocates for the entire family under this specific program in the areas of drug & alcohol, teenage pregnancy, IEP testing, and mental health. CIS serves 65 youth through this program.

Community Events/Mobilizations

We conduct over 30 community, sporting and other events annually including job fairs, parades, battle of the bands, 4th of July celebrations, Veteran’s Day Parades, community clean-ups, etc. These Community Events organized by CIS are a powerful force for neighborhood unity and a stabilizing force in the realm of gang intervention. For example, football and softball games, on their own, seem to be relatively unimportant recreational activities.  However these events maintain communication through all strata of our communities, and encourage gang-involved youth to maintain positive involvement with the community. The focus of these events is on tolerance, positive race relations, cultural awareness and peace. Through these safe, family oriented festivals, parades, peace marches, musical celebrations, job and health fairs, etc., CIS provides members of the community rare opportunities to learn about critical services that are available to them in areas such as drug & alcohol abuse counseling, teenage pregnancy prevention, general health testing, dental services and mental health. Each of these events typically attract from 300 to over 7000 people each, in fact last years July 4th Hansen Dam celebration drew an estimated 35,000 people

CIS JOBS CREATE PEACE INITIATIVE

Job preparedness training, development and placement have been a special focus of CIS since 2001 when we first began our fledgling job training program with the City of LA. We learned quickly the major impact that having a job had on helping youth and young adults reject the gang lifestyle and become productive members of society. In fact we at CIS believe that if all our efforts do not lead to gainful employment, then our job is not complete. Current programs within the initiative include the following:

The Gang Intervention Juvenile Justice Project

Through this contract with the U.S. Department of Justice, CIS demonstrates the positive impact that gainful employment can have on the gang epidemic in our communities. The target population is gang-involved and gang-oriented youth, ages 14 to 18, who have demonstrated a true willingness to reject gangs and violence, turn their lives around and become productive members of society. We will enroll 75 participants over 18 months and empower them to achieve self-sufficiency and gang-free lifestyles through individualized training plans, skills attainment plans, industry certifications and actual job placements.

CIS High Risk Probation Youth Employment Program

Under this contract with County of Los Angeles Probation Department, CIS provides a wide range of employment services to youth on probation under the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) High Risk/High Needs Program to 25 High Risk/High Needs (“HR/HN”) youth who are referred to CIS for services by the County Probation Officers. 

CIS Job Training & Opportunity Center

As a result of the effectiveness of CIS job development efforts, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has enabled CIS to secure a new facility to expand our job training initiatives. This new, 5,000 square foot facility will be funded in part by $1,500,000 that has been pledged by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the City of Los Angeles.