My grant proposal is addressing ACEs in black youth involved in the juvenile justice system in Orange County, Florida. African American youth relative to their other ethnic peers are overrepresented in the U.S. juvenile justice system. (Voisin et al., 2016). Evidence suggests that black youth involved in the juvenile justice system are disproportionately affected by ACEs, leading to increased rates of mental disorders. In 2019, compared to white youths, black youths were 2.4 times more likely and American Indian youths were 1.5 times more likely to be arrested (OJJDP, 2020).
The trauma informed principles I used are trust and transparency, safety, peer support, and empowerment voice choice. This will allow us to create a safe and supportive environment. My program will address multiple levels of the Social Ecological Model (SEM) specifically focusing on the individual, relationship, and community levels (SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, n.d.). I focused on the primary and tertiary public health levels of prevention in my grant proposal. I did this to so I can work to prevent ACEs resulting in juvenile justice interactions from occurring in the first place, intervene early to mitigate the impact of ACEs on mental health, and provide support for those already affected.
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