Think Creative - Issue 3

Reducing youth risk through family counseling Honduras // Proponte Más

In Honduras, the Proponte Más team of more than 50 family counselors works in high-violence communities to reduce youth risk for engaging with gangs and violence. By empirically measuring risk across nine factors, Pro- ponte Más determines each individual’s risk level – primary, secondary or tertiary. With this diagnostic, called the Youth Service Eligibility Tool, Proponte Más can match each youth with the proper intervention and work toward reducing those risk factors, building resilience and strengthening families and communities in the process. In the most recent cycle, 75 percent of the 450 youth who completed a year of family counseling saw significant reduction in risk factors and are no longer considered to be at a high risk level. n

Brothers Amílcar (left) and Josue have improved their relationship after the family participated in Proponte Más family counseling.

Police & justice reform

Four Levels of Violence Prevention

TERTIARY

75 %

Percentage of youth who

Actively involved in illicit groups

dropped their risk factors significantly from the tertiary and secondary levels through family counseling

Intervention: Reinsertion, alternative measures

SECONDARY

77 %

At highest risk of joining illicit groups

To see family counseling in action, read “Transforming Towns Together” on page 14

Intervention: Family counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy

PRIMARY

Living in high-violence areas

Intervention: Outreach Center programming, crime prevention through environmental design

Photo by Emanuel Rodríguez

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