Project BUILD

Project BUILD is a multi-disciplinary gang prevention and intervention program that provides coordinated case management and services to youth and young adults between the ages of 10 and 21 who are at high risk of gang involvement.

Project BUILD’s street outreach workers work one-on-one with young people to model pro-social behavior, provide behavior coaching, support positive decision-making, encourage education and employment success, and support involvement in pro-social activities.

Services for Project BUILD clients are coordinated by a team of professionals representing education, social services, mental health, substance abuse, and criminal justice agencies.



Evidence-based program

Project BUILD utilizes a program model that is based upon the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Comprehensive Gang Model, an evidence-based gang intervention model developed by the U.S. Department of Justice. The OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model was developed in the 1980s and has been tested and evaluated in communities around the United States, where it was found to reduce gang-related crime and violence (pdf). Elements of this model include street outreach workers, a Multidisciplinary Intervention Team, and coordinated case management of clients’ needs and services.


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Street Outreach Workers

Project BUILD includes a team of dedicated and experienced street outreach workers who provide one-to-one mentoring, coaching, support, and assistance to high risk and gang-involved clients. Project BUILD’s outreach personnel meet regularly with clients and parents at home, school, or in other community locations to conduct needs assessments, help clients identify personal goals, and build ongoing relationships with clients and their families in order to provide ongoing support of the clients’ educational, employment, social, and personal development goals.


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Multidisciplinary Intervention Team

Clients served by Project BUILD are case managed by a Multidisciplinary Intervention Team composed of representatives from education, social service, employment, mental health, substance abuse, and criminal justice agencies. The Intervention Team coordinates service delivery for clients and families, and allows Project BUILD to provide advocacy and support for youth and families who are involved with multiple systems of care. This team approach allows Project BUILD personnel to respond quickly and meaningfully to client and family needs, including crisis scenarios, with appropriate resources and assistance.


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Prevention Specialists

Project BUILD prevention specialists work with youth between the ages of 10 and 14, who are at high risk of joining a gang to provide mentoring, educational assistance, structured activities, and support for clients, their parents and families.