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Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives

The mission of Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives is to reduce street gang recruitment activities and the causes of gang violence by providing positive alternative activities and family support to at-risk youth. Open Door strives to provide the healthiest environment for our youth to grow by reducing violence and re-enforcing healthy behaviors. This mission is achieved utilizing a combination of in-school and after-school-based, community outreach and summer programs.

Open Door uses a multi-pronged approach to accomplish its goals. Our programs provide awareness, gang prevention and intervention services to youth, families, and to the community. Below are some examples of our many outreach programs: 

Open Door Programs

• Professional Development
Open Door is committed to enhancing the knowledge and skills of professionals working with youth and families. Open Door's multidisciplinary focus emphasizes the need for all professionals working with youth to have a common understanding of complex issues. Training programs are specifically designed to meet the needs of the profession taking into consideration geographical location, cultural competencies and professional objectives.

• Academic and Character Education Program (ACE)
Understanding the philosophy that the most effective way to control the growth of gangs in the community is to stop the recruitment of potential youth into the gang, the ACE Program is designed to reach out to school children ages 5-14 through daily in-school and after-school programs.

• Parent Connection
The Parent Connection includes monthly parent/child support groups and in-home visits. The meetings and visits are intended to assist parents in helping their children to build the skills necessary to prevent participation in gang activities. In addition, group meetings provide an opportunity for parents who are experiencing similar challenges a chance to support, assist one another and solve common problems.

• Intensive Intervention and Redirection Program (IIR)
The IIR Program mandates the identification of 5-10 youth that have continually been involved in negative behaviors that have resulted in drastic consequences. These youth are assigned to a Prevention Specialist that will work intensively with them and their families in an effort to redirect their anti-social behaviors and attitudes.

• Youth Outreach Unit
The Youth Outreach Unit acts as the critical link providing support during the difficult times of need, as well as creating a bridge to long-term intervention and support systems.

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