PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 19, 2021) – As part of its mission to help break intergenerational trauma, the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center formally launched its Teen Connect Parenting Program, an international parent education and support training initiative developed to improve the quality of parent-child relationships and youth behavior. The program comes at a time when many families, especially those in Black, Latino, immigrant and low-income communities, are grappling with the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recession and recent natural disasters in their lives.
Located within the Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) College of Juvenile Justice (COJJ), the program launched thanks to the generosity of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national private philanthropy based in Baltimore, Maryland, that works to develop solutions to build a brighter future for children, youth, families and communities.
“We recognize people are suffering and that there is a great need for help to solve problems and heal our communities,” said Susan Frazier-Kouassi, Ph.D., director of the Texas Juvenile Crime and Prevention Center (TJCPC). “This is a pivotal time in our society and even more so for disadvantaged juveniles in our local areas. The Teen Connect Parenting Program aligns with our early intervention efforts, and we are eager to bring our expertise to further advance our mission through activities within this program.”
Through this partnership, the Teen Connect Parenting Program will help parents throughout the Houston region develop skills to address challenges faced by vulnerable children, reduce aggressive behavior in youth, as well as identify problems and disorders that often lead to juvenile crime and impede social mobility. The program is an evidence-based, ten-week model that uses a trauma-informed approach and incorporates effective engagement strategies with experiential learning and skill development.
“We believe PVAMU is uniquely positioned to help break the cycle of trauma, crime and poverty,” said COJJP Interim Dean and Executive Director of the TJCPC Camille Gibson, Ph.D. “We look forward to working together to help parents and families reduce juvenile delinquency to transform our local community and beyond.”
As the first site of its kind in Texas, PVAMU’s Teen Connect Parenting Program will partner with two Houston-based organizations – Eight Million Stories and Pro-Vision Academy – which support local youth, families and communities through education, training and social enrichment opportunities. Over time, PVAMU plans to expand the initiative into other neighborhoods across Texas.
“Teen Connect is a powerful approach to help keep young people safely with their families and out of the juvenile justice and foster care systems,” said Sandra Gasca-Gonzales, vice president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Center for Systems Innovation. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Prairie View A&M University in this effort that will leverage the school’s strong connections to community-based organizations and its commitment to healing communities and engaging community partners to help families thrive.”
In addition to an initial grant to launch the program, the Casey Foundation is donating in-kind training and support services to assist with planning and implementation.
“PVAMU and the College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology have a proven history of helping vulnerable populations,” said Ruth J. Simmons, president of PVAMU. “We are grateful that we can continue to offer families relief and change lives with the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s leadership, vision and support.”
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