Arts For Healing And Justice Network

AHJN IS AN ORGANIZATION PROVIDING STRUCTURE AND COORDINATION FOR THE COLLABORATIVE WORK OF COMMUNITY-BASED ARTS EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS SERVING SYSTEM-IMPACTED YOUTH IN THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY, IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION, BUILD RESILIENCY AND WELLNESS, INCREASE COMMUNITY HEALTH, ELIMINATE RECIDIVISM, AND CENTER ARTS AS A CHANGE STRATEGY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES, AND SYSTEMS.

MEMBERS PROGRAMMINGTHIS ENCOMPASSES ARTS PROGRAMMING PROVIDED BY AHJN'S MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS IN JUVENILE DETENTION FACILITIES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. THIS MAINLY CONSISTS OF 12-WEEK CYCLES ROTATING AMONG THE DIFFERENT SECURE RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES, BOTH THE CAMPS (LONG-TERM) AND THE HALLS (SHORT-TERM). MEMBERS PROGRAMMING REPRESENTS AHJN'S CORE WORK OF SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF ARTS TO HEAL YOUTH, WHERE OUR 15 MEMBER AGENCIES SERVE SYSTEM-IMPACTED YOUTH IN LOS ANGELES (L.A.) COUNTY, PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY ARTS EDUCATION THAT INCLUDES CREATIVE WRITING, SPOKEN WORD, VISUAL ARTS, THEATER, DIGITAL MEDIA, DANCE, AND MUSIC. AHJN'S CORE WORK REMAINS PROVIDING YEAR-ROUND, HEALING-INFORMED ARTS ENGAGEMENT TO YOUTH AND YOUTH-SERVING ADULTS IN DETENTION FACILITIES, PARKS, HOUSING SITES, AND SCHOOL-BASED SETTINGS ACROSS LA COUNTY. AHJN IS CURRENTLY PROVIDING YEAR-ROUND ARTS PROGRAMMING AT 47 DIFFERENT SITES, REACHING AN ESTIMATED 1,800 YOUTH/YEAR.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTCURRENTLY, AHJN'S PROGRAM CONSISTS OF TWO CORE ELEMENTS FOR WHICH FUNDING IS SOUGHT: OUR TRUE COLORS AND YOUTH FELLOWSHIPS.OUR TRUE COLORS: THE OUR TRUE COLORS SPACE, EXCLUSIVELY FOR SYSTEMS-IMPACTED YOUNG PEOPLE, IS AN ARTS-CENTERED HEALING SPACE. IT INCLUDES LIFE SKILLS CLASSES (SUCH AS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND PERSONAL BUDGETING), FIELD TRIPS-TO PERFORMANCES, CULTURAL EVENTS, AND OUR MEMBERS EVENTS AND SPACES-AND ART-MAKING. AHJN'S GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A SAFE, LOW-RISK, ENGAGING PEER SPACE AS A "LANDING PAD" FOR YOUTH RETURNING TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. OUR TRUE COLORS HAS A SHARED, YOUTH-DEFINED RUBRIC FOR MEETING PERSONAL GOALS OF PARTICIPATION, COMMUNICATION, AND COMMUNITY. YOUTH FELLOWSHIPS: ONCE GOALS DEVELOPED IN OUR TRUE COLORS ARE CONSISTENTLY MET, YOUTH ARE READY TO BE PLACED IN A FELLOWSHIP-A PAID INTERNSHIP WITH ONE OF AHJN'S MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS. IN THESE FELLOWSHIPS, THE YOUTH AND HOST ORGANIZATION COLLABORATIVELY DEFINE THE SCOPE OF WORK, EXPECTATIONS, AND TIMELINE/SCHEDULE FOR THE FELLOWSHIP.

ADVOCACYAHJN SUPPORTS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTS AS A PRACTICE TO CHANGE SYSTEMS. IN ADVOCATING FOR A YOUTH DEVELOPMENT APPROACH, AHJN IS PROVIDING ADVOCACY FELLOWSHIPS FOR YOUTH WHO ARE RETURNING TO L.A. COMMUNITIES THROUGH PAID LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ENGAGE DIRECTLY-IMPACTED YOUTH IN USING ARTS TO ARTICULATE THEIR OWN PERSPECTIVES AND PRIORITIES AROUND NEEDED SYSTEMIC CHANGE. AHJN STRIVES TO "CONNECT THE DOTS" BETWEEN DIRECT SERVICE AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE. AHJN DOES THIS BY CONNECTING ADVOCACY TO THOSE MOST IMPACTED - CENTERING ARTS AND ART-MAKING AS A WAY TO BUILD COMMUNITY, PARTNERSHIP, AND RESILIENCE IN SYSTEMS-CHANGE WORK AND WITHIN THE COLLABORATIVE NETWORK ITSELF, AND USING THE ARTS TO SHIFT HOW PEOPLE SEE EACH OTHER TO INCREASE EMPATHY AND SOLIDARITY. ADVOCACY PROJECTS HAVE INCLUDED THE CREATE JUSTICE NATIONAL THINK TANK SERIES OF FORUMS, WHICH ELEVATED THE INTERSECTION OF ARTS AND JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM. THIS INVOLVED CO-HOSTING AND PLANNING THE FORUM, AND SUPPORTING THE FULL PARTICIPATION OF A COHORT OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO ATTEND, AS WELL AS COMMUNICATION EFFORTS (INCLUDING DEVELOPING AND LAUNCHING A WEBSITE) FOR THE INITIATIVE. ALSO INCLUDED IN AHJN'S ADVOCACY PROGRAM IS WORK SUPPORTING THE NEWLY EMERGED DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT IN L.A. COUNTY. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDE YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN COUNTY-WIDE YOUTH SUMMITS AND FORUMS AIMED AT RE-DESIGNING THE CURRENT YOUTH INCARCERATION SYSTEM, AND PROVIDING EVIDENCE FOR AND PERSPECTIVE ON THE NEED FOR INCREASED INVESTMENT IN PREVENTION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, RATHER THAN INCARCERATION. YOUTH HAVE ATTENDED MEETINGS, FACILITATED WORKSHOPS, AND BEEN ON PANELS AS PART OF THIS EFFORT.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND REPLICATIONAHJN HAS RECENTLY BEGUN EXPANDING AND REPLICATING ITS MODEL - GETTING CLOSER TO TRANSFORMING SYSTEMIC SUPPORT FOR YOUTH. AHJN HAS, FOR EXAMPLE, PARTNERED WITH THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND THEIR TRAUMA PREVENTION INITIATIVE TO CENTER ARTS AS A CORE PUBLIC HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AND STRATEGY - AND A WAY TO HELP AT-RISK YOUTH AVOID JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM INVOLVEMENT. AHJN HAS ALSO BEGUN REPLICATING ITS MODEL IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING NEW MEXICO. AHJN HAS PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR EMERGING SITES INTERESTED IN EMBRACING A HEALING-INFORMED APPROACH TO ARTS ENGAGEMENT IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT AND IN VENTURA, CALIFORNIA. AHJN HAS ALSO SUPPORTED EMERGING COLLABORATIVES IN SAN DIEGO, OHIO, NEW YORK, AND NEW ORLEANS.MEMBERS CAPACITY BUILDINGIN ADDITION TO THE DIRECT SERVICE AND SYSTEMIC CHANGE WORK IT DOES, AHJN ALSO INVESTS IN THE CAPACITY OF MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO CURRENT AHJN MEMBERS AND CREATING A TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TOOLKIT USED TO TRAIN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN REGIONS WITH YOUTH IN DETENTION. THESE TOOLS INCLUDE A MEMBERS-CREATED SHARED THEORY OF PRACTICE THAT IS DEFINING AND ADVANCING BEST PRACTICES IN THE FIELD, YOUTH-LED POLICY PRIORITIES (AND A SYSTEM OF COLLECTION AND DOCUMENTATION FOR OTHER REGIONS) AND AN EMERGING TOOLKIT ON RESILIENT COLLABORATIVES (I.E., WHAT MAKES THE AHJN MODEL WORK.)