GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Michigan State University is at the forefront of an initiative aimed at preventing youth targeted violence.
It’s through a project called Prevent 2 Protect.
The idea behind the project is to identify those individuals in the K-12 school system that have been deemed at risk of committing an act of violence.
They are then referred to mental health professionals at m-s-u for a holistic assessment.
Then an individualized care plan is developed.
“If you intervene early, if you have at least one positive adult, in these high-risk kids’ lives, and if these kids are provided with the resources and supports, they need, they have a chance to become productive citizens to become part of a community and to feel a connection with that community. And by doing all those things, we can really prevent acts of violence,” Dr. Alyse Folino Ley, Co-founder & Co-director, Prevent 2 Protect, said.
Prevent 2 protect provides monitoring and mentorship for those adolescents and their families.
This is a voluntary program in two regions of Michigan.
The goal is to establish it in three more regions this year.
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