Community Wellness

In partnership with the Department of Family and Support Services, the Service Coordination and Navigation (SCaN) program provides intensive case management to youth active in street activities or the justice system in one of eight communities selected based on high violence rates: Auburn Gresham, Austin, East Garfield Park, Englewood, Humboldt Park, North Lawndale, Roseland, and West Garfield Park.

SCaN staff work with youth ages 14-24 to create goals that include:

• Education completion
• Employment avenues
• Housing stability
• Physical and emotional wellness

Recidivism rates have been proven to fall when those exiting the justice system are mentally and physically supported and provided opportunities to grow and change.

Lawrence Hall’s 13-week JAC program offers a variety of supports to youth ages 14-24 who have been involved with the justice system. After a selective enrollment process, youth take part in group and/or individual therapies, mentoring, employment services, and educational support that help prevent the reoccurrence of high-risk behaviors and violence.

For more information or to refer a youth to JAC, contact Aaron at abrown@lawrencehall.org.

Through active participation in various safety committees, Lawrence Hall helps to address the root cause of childhood and community trauma through violence prevention. This commitment not only includes the committee work, but also intensive case management for youth involved in the justice system and second chance hiring opportunities to help address recidivism rates.

South Shore youth ages 13-20 benefit from one-on-one life coaching and group socials such as movies, escape rooms, and outdoor activities through our free mentoring program. Having grown up on Chicago’s South Side, our staff mentors understand the struggles of our youth, allowing them to guide young mentees through life’s roadblocks, career/educational exploration, and goal setting.

For more information or to register for the mentoring program, contact Francesca at fvalenziano@lawrencehall.org.

Lawrence Hall’s trained contact tracers helped our Chicago communities through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing answers and resources about vaccines and up-to-date protocols. In this next phase, our team continues to support the effort through vaccination information distribution and outreach in communities hardest hit by the pandemic.