Overcome Program: socio-emotional services

Caras works in several impoversihed neigborhoods where violence, crime, drug traficking and consumption, alcohol consumption, and other social stressors are prevalent. After hurricanes Irma and María our populaiton served was severly affected. To this day, more than 30% of residents have not been able to complete reparations to their housing. Stress is further increased with the fiscal and political crisis Puerto Rico faces. We work with seven schools, and community leaders from several neighborhoods and housing projects. School directors and community leaders worringly agree that socio-emotional health has decreased considerably and is dramatically affecting quality of life. This is why we launched the Overcome Program and its pilot phase now supported by Global Giving. 

We have recruited a team of physcologist, social workers and conselors to work with at risk children and their families in supporitng their socio-emotional health. During these past three most we were able to attend over 20 students and their families. Of these, 17 decided to return after initial evaluation and received continuos and recurrent services. This experience has helped us further design the program and its implementation. By September we hope to be impacting a minimum of 70-80 families and supporting their socio-emotional health. The poor are the most vulnerable in Puerto Rico, who make up more than 50% of the populaiton. They also have been the most affected by hurricanes, the fiscal crisis and now the political crisis. Recovery is a long term process that needs to be attended holistically. Social-emotional health is crucial to long term recovery. 

Links:

• http://www.caraspr.org