Guadalupe Schools — Breaking the Cycle of Violence

Purpose and activities: Family Services Agency (FSA) and Guadalupe Union School District (GUSD) seek BJA STOP School Violence Program support for continued collaboration on Guadalupe Schools—Breaking the Cycle of Violence, initially launched in 2020 with BJA STOP support. The project will expand skill-based conflict resolution training for students, school staff, and parents; add Positive Interventions and Supports (PBIS) at the elementary level; increase parent engagement, including through efforts that advance racial equity in the district through partnership with the Community Changers parent advocacy group; and provide trauma-informed mental health support from 1.5 FTE school-based therapists and a 0.5 FTE family advocate.

Expected outcomes: (1) At least 600 students in 2nd and 5th grades, approximately 90 teachers and afterschool staff, and at least 15 parents will gain trauma-informed conflict resolution and social-emotional skills; (2) 1,250 TK-8th-grade GUSD students will receive PBIS-based services and support; (3) at least 115 students and families each year will improve mental health and stability through one-on-one and family counseling and advocacy; (4) at least 30 GUSD parents each year will engage in school safety efforts.

Service area and beneficiaries: All activities will occur in the City of Guadalupe, California, with services reaching all schools and students in GUSD. GUSD will be the sole subrecipient. All project activities will benefit GUSD students, teachers, staff members, and parents. 

Specific training that will be implemented includes PBIS training, Restorative Practices: Transforming Traditional Consequences into Meaningful Accountability, Behavior Solutions: A Practical Road Map for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Success in All Tiers Workshop, and Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evaluate (ALICE) training. The project will work through the GUSD Intervention Team, School Safety Committee, and new School Culture Team to implement all objectives and activities.