Luna y Sol Youth and Family Resilience Project

The Santa Cruz County (SCC) Luna y Sol Familia & Community Center: Una Comunidad Sana y Segura (Luna y Sol) is led by the Community Action Board SCC Inc. The purpose of Luna y Sol is to provide a safe community hub that delivers a trauma-informed, culturally and developmentally responsive model of care that will build on strengths and resilience, improve well-being and quality of life, and disrupt the cycle of violence. The intended beneficiaries include Latinx youth, their younger siblings and families who are surviving exposure to or have direct involvement with pervasive violence. The service area is South Santa Cruz County/Watsonville City, California. Project activities for youth include Mental Health & Wellness (mental health services, substance use counseling, domestic violence prevention and support, family counseling, restorative justice); Basic Needs (linkages to medical, food security, housing, immigration support); Education (educational counseling, tutoring); Economic Opportunities (financial literacy; career exploration; employment program); and Community Engagement and Leadership (mentorship; community service hours; linkages to pro-social activities). Project activities for families include Basic Needs; Parent Engagement (parenting workshops); Domestic Violence Support (shelter, safety plan);Economic Opportunities (financial literacy; earned income tax credit); and Community Engagement (monthly family activities). Project activities for community capacity building include Community Healing (building trust between law enforcement and community); Building a common language around youth developmental assets; Building system partners and CBO capacity through training on selected Evidence-Based Programs; and Strengthening partnerships and our comprehensive community response. The subrecipient, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance, provides clinical mental health services and wrap-around case management. Expected outcomes for community partners include orientation and training for staff and key partners that demonstrate understanding of selected Evidence-Based Programs; Youth developmental assets common language; Strengthening relationships between law enforcement and community; and Strengthening partnerships across sectors to create a coordinated and comprehensive community response. Expected outcomes for youth include improved positive youth development outcomes; Improved mental health, well-being and one other life domain; and Increased knowledge and understanding of intrafamilial violence, access to community resources, and implementation of safety plans. Expected outcomes for families include improvements in life domains; improved communication and cooperation skills; improved ability to navigate the system of care and obtain basic needs; and increased knowledge of intrafamilial violence, access to community resources, and implementation of safety plans.