Self Awareness and Recovery seeks funding to expand its mentoring program services for children and youth, who are at risk or high risk, to an additional jurisdiction within the state.

The goals of this initiative are to improve outcomes, such as improved academic performance and reduced school dropout rates, for at-risk and high-risk youth, and reduce negative outcomes, including juvenile delinquency, substance misuse, and gang participation, through youth mentoring. Self Awareness and Recovery (SAR) will continue to support its existing mentoring matches through program completion. Combining the expertise and capabilities of Community-based Organizations (CBOs), school districts, chief probation departments, students and their families, SAR will within a 36-month period: 

Objective 1: Increase or expand reach to the number of at-risk or high-risk youth receiving mentoring services.  

Objective 2: Increase or maintain the number of screened and well-trained mentors, with an emphasis on ensuring the mentors selected reflect the youth they serve. 

Objective 3: Develop and implement program design enhancements that align with research and evidence on effective mentoring approaches. 

SAR is the leading contractor with support of The Lionheart Foundation, who will provide the evidence-based curriculum, Power Source, and access to additional training to SAR’s staff. SAR has reached out to three community-based organizations for support in referring youth. Self Awareness and Recovery has selected to work with youth who are in juvenile halls specifically Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, including other juvenile halls, those youth who present as at-risk and high-risk such as Dual System Youth, and are referred by probation officers, school administrators, child welfare agencies, judges, and public defenders in a new jurisdiction, Los Angeles County.   Besides incorporating Power Source, SAR will oversee the project design and implementation of its youth mentoring program by recruiting additional mentors, including peer mentors, and provide access to resources and additional supports to the mentees and their families. SAR’s anticipated outcomes will deliver direct services to a minimum of 240 youth, who are at-risk or high-risk, in 36 months across one jurisdiction, Los Angeles County. At least one (1) facilitator, four (4) mentors and 30 peer mentors will be identified to provide mentoring within this time period. The combined total of hours for the 240 mentor-mentee matches in a 36-month period is 5,760.