BLOOM365, a national youth-centered violence prevention organization headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., recently received a $12,500 grant from Thunderbirds Charities to further its Youth Violence Intervention and Prevention Project (Y-VIPP.) Y-VIPP is an initiative that addresses the individual, relationship, community and societal risk factors associated with youth interpersonal violence perpetration.
“We are grateful to Thunderbirds Charities for not only recognizing our mission at BLOOM365, but helping support intervention programs like Y-VIPP, designed to prevent and respond to the perpetration of violence, specifically in Valley youth, teens and young adults ages 11-24,” said BLOOM365 CEO, Donna Bartos.
“Thanks in part to these funds, we can continue to implement a comprehensive menu of Y-VIPP services, including the facilitation of BLOOM365’s violence prevention education curriculum in schools and the delivery of behavioral health interventions in schools and counseling services in the community to reduce the risk of Gen Z youth harming others or themselves,” Bartos added.
BLOOM365’s Y-VIPP program addresses the individual, relationship, community, and societal risk factors associated with youth interpersonal violence perpetration. It includes a team of licensed counselors, intervention specialists and youth mentors who provide services and programming to support the social, emotional and behavioral health needs of Valley youth.
While other BLOOM365 programs support young victims through their healing process, Y-VIPP uniquely focuses on delivering free and confidential school-based intervention and mobile counseling to students ages 11-17 and young adults who are at risk for violent behaviors and those already using violence.
“Through the Y-VIPP program, students who struggle with building and maintaining healthy relationships or those who are removed from school because they are considered a threat to others, have access to free and confidential individual counseling and group intervention services that reduce risk factors and improve protective factors,” said Bartos. “Parents, caregivers, school personnel and wrap-around service providers are involved in Y-VIPP outreach, education and intervention efforts to ensure positive and sustainable outcomes.”
Funds donated from Thunderbirds Charities help directly support these essential Y-VIPP services.
“At a time when school shootings are on the rise, Y-VIPP uniquely focuses on youth who are at risk for interpersonal violence perpetration and meets the urgent public health need for prevention education, behavioral and mental health services, case management and age-appropriate interventions for youth at risk for using verbal, emotional, physical or sexual violence to control or harm others,” said Director of Social Work at Ombudsman Schools, Tarinda Craglow, LMSW. “Having seen this program at work with young people, it’s clear Y-VIPP services help reduce community violence and help our young people grow to be advocates for non-violent behaviors in their peers.”
Y-VIPP strives to teach healthy relationship skills and improve help-seeking behaviors and access to support for young people at risk for using violence. It also addresses gaps in culturally specific interventions for LGBTQ+ youth and youth with disabilities, enhances school-based responses to youth violence prevention and intervention, increases student safety and reduces the risk of interpersonal violence injuries, social and emotional harm and deaths.
Since its start in 2012, more than 50,000 high school students across the Valley have completed BLOOM365’s prevention education curriculum.
This grant is part of the Fall 2022 cycle. View a list of all Recent Grantees.