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Amethyst Place Preventing Multi-Generational Substance Use
Amethyst Place is a safe haven where mothers recovering from substance use can rebuild their lives and families. Through a holistic model that includes supportive housing, therapeutic care, and empowerment programs, Amethyst Place helps families break free from cycles of poverty, trauma, and addiction. At its core, the program offers not only stability—but hope, healing, and long-term transformation. At the center of Amethyst Place is the Supportive Housing Program, which provides 37 fully furnished apartments in a vibrant, close-knit community. Families are given a stable home for as long as they need, along with access to basic essentials like food, clothing, and household items. In 2023, Amethyst Place supported 163 women and children in reclaiming their lives through the safety and security of stable housing. Kansas City faces a severe housing shortage, with more than 64,000 units of affordable housing needed for low-income renters.
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ArtsTech Violence Prevention
ArtsTech’s Integrated Arts and Tech Violence Prevention Program uses the power of creativity, culture, and connection to prevent violence and substance abuse among youth in Kansas City’s most affected neighborhoods. Combining evidence-based practices with structured art, technology, mentoring, and wraparound support, this program engages young people where they are—emotionally, culturally, and developmentally—and gives them the tools to envision and build a safer, healthier future. Drawing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report "Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Leveraging the Best Available Evidence (2019)," ArtsTech takes a six-pronged, strength-based approach to youth development, particularly for young people living in high-risk zip codes and neighborhoods identified as violence "hotspots."
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Artists Helping The Homeless: BE THE CHANGE
At the heart of Amethyst House Healing’s (AHH) recovery model is a simple but powerful idea: meet people where they are—both physically and emotionally—and walk alongside them as they rebuild their lives. The BE THE CHANGE Program accomplishes this mission through a two-stage residential model that offers shelter, recovery support and long-term stability for individuals who are unhoused and living with substance use disorders. Too often, services for unhoused individuals are fragmented. Detox programs discharge patients with no follow-up care. Treatment centers are full or come with long waitlists. Agencies operate in silos. The BE THE CHANGE model eliminates that burden. By embedding its staff in the facilities of hospitals, jails, shelters, and treatment providers, AHH connects services into a seamless pipeline. Staff do not wait for referrals—they go where the need is. This coordination has proven to improve outcomes, reduce recidivism, and increase program completion.
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Black Archives: Art Resolution Tactics For Success
The Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City has long been a beacon for preserving and celebrating African American history, culture and community contributions. The Archives empowers residents with a deeper understanding of the Black experience in the Midwest and beyond. As part of its growing commitment to community wellness, the organization also offers culturally informed programs designed to address urgent social challenges. One of the most critical of these is the recent rise in youth violence. Between 2019 and 2023, Kansas City experienced a 58% increase in homicides involving children and teens ages 0 to 17. In response to this urgent crisis, the Black Archives developed Art Resolution Tactics for Success, a youth-focused initiative aimed at reducing violence by teaching non-violent conflict resolution through art, expression, and technology. The program is designed to meet young people where they are, giving them the tools and support to choose peace over violence.
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Child Protection Center
The mission of the Child Protection Center (CPC) is to build a healthier community by leading the response to the prevention, identification and treatment of child abuse and violence. The CPC accomplishes its mission by providing forensic interviews, family advocacy and mental health services to children 3 to 17 living in Jackson County, who are victims of sexual or physical abuse, or who have witnessed violent crimes. CPC also conducts interviews with the children's non-offending caregivers. The CPC ensures children who are victims of child abuse or witness to violent crimes are properly identified, that their statements are made through forensic interviews, and that they are ensured access to all necessary mental health treatments and social supports as soon as possible.
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City of Independence
Independence Health and Animal Services (IHAS), in partnership with the Independence School District (ISD) and Fort Osage School District (FOSD), is spearheading a comprehensive substance use prevention program targeting youth and families. Recognizing the critical need to address the rising substance use and mental health challenges faced by young people, IHAS offers tailored prevention education and community engagement activities designed to empower parents, guardians, and students alike. Both ISD and FOSD support IHAS in delivering substance use prevention classes specifically designed for parents and guardians. These sessions provide vital information about substance use risks, signs of use, and prevention strategies. By educating caregivers, the program strengthens the family unit’s ability to support youth and intervene early if challenges arise. These classes also foster open communication about substance use, mental health, and wellness in a supportive, non-judgmental setting.
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Guadalupe Centers Life Skills Prevention Program
The Guadalupe Center, Inc. (GCI) offers a comprehensive Life Skills Program designed to support adolescents as they navigate the transition to adulthood. Central to this program are two evidence-based curricula: Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence and Pathways to Resilience. Together, these programs provide young people with essential social, emotional, and personal skills that help them overcome adversity, make healthy choices, and build stronger connections within their communities. This evidence-based curriculum helps students understand risk factors while promoting protective behaviors that support positive development. Complementing this, Pathways to Resilience focuses on strengthening the ability of teens and young adults to "bounce back" from challenges—known as resilience. This curriculum guides youth in developing coping strategies that are practical and relevant to their everyday lives, empowering them to face difficult situations with confidence and hope.
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Heart of America Council BSA Be Prepared
Kansas City faces one of the highest rates of violent crime in the nation. According to Neighborhood Scout, residents face a 1 in 16 chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime. For the city’s children, these statistics are more than numbers—they represent the everyday reality of walking to school, playing outside, or navigating peer pressure in an increasingly digital world. In response, this community-based initiative is grounded in a simple but powerful belief: our children deserve better. The program brings together youth, families and key institutional partners to promote crime prevention, drug education, digital safety, and abuse awareness—equipping young people with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to lead safer, healthier lives. The mission of this program is to educate, empower, and protect youth in Kansas City by addressing critical safety issues through early prevention and family engagement.
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High Aspirations
High Aspirations is a vibrant mentoring program dedicated to supporting African American males ages 8 to 18 living in Kansas City’s urban core. Operating every Saturday, High Aspirations provides structured and engaging sessions designed to build leadership skills, self-confidence, and positive community involvement. The program actively addresses educational disparities, economic challenges, and community safety concerns facing Black youth in the area. Each Saturday, with guidance from a program specialist, interns, a Concerned Mothers Group, mentors, and community volunteers, High Aspirations hosts two one-hour sessions serving more than 70 boys per session.
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Reconciliation Services REVEAL
Reconciliation Services (RS) delivers comprehensive, strength-building assistance through its REVEAL Social and Mental Health Services Program. This program offers a wide range of vital services aimed at individuals and families affected by poverty, trauma, violence, and behavioral and mental health challenges in Jackson County, Missouri’s most disinvested urban neighborhoods. RS’s holistic approach includes ID-document assistance, comprehensive housing support and counseling, intensive case management, evidence-based trauma therapy, medical and dental supplies through Access KC, food assistance via Thelma’s Kitchen, trauma-informed workforce development, and economic mobility initiatives. These services are designed to foster resilience, promote healing, and support long-term stability for vulnerable populations. RS serves clients across the metropolitan area but prioritizes neighborhoods east of Troost—areas with the highest concentrations of poverty, violence, and trauma.
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WeCode KC
WeCode KC is addressing a critical challenge: the persistent lack of diversity in the technology sector. Despite rapid growth in the tech industry, opportunities for Black and Brown individuals remain limited due to longstanding economic and educational disparities. WeCode KC is working to change that narrative—empowering youth from underserved communities with the tools, training, and support they need to thrive in high-demand technology careers. WeCode KC was founded with direct input from the communities it serves. Community surveys and assessments conducted by the organization revealed that 70% of participants come from households earning below the poverty line. WeCode KC exists to bridge the opportunity gap by providing youth from Black and Brown communities with free or low-cost access to high-quality, hands-on technology education. By removing financial and systemic barriers, WeCode KC is helping to diversify Kansas City’s tech workforce while lifting families out of poverty.
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Youth Ambassadors
Youth Ambassadors (YA) is a dynamic program serving Greater Kansas City youth ages 14 to 18. Grounded in strengths-based principles, YA combines social-emotional learning, trauma healing, and violence prevention to help young people overcome significant challenges and become leaders in their communities. By providing specialized training in life skills, job readiness, health, entrepreneurship, community development, and creative expression, YA equips youth to thrive both personally and professionally. Mental health services are embedded into the program, offering free, onsite therapy as a vital support. Youth in Jackson County’s urban neighborhoods face deep and persistent hardships. These include poverty, community violence, food insecurity, underfunded infrastructure, and high rates of unemployment and incarceration within families. These conditions create an environment where youth are exposed to trauma and limited access to the support they need.
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Violence Prevention Programs