Community Engagement/Youth Development

The CEYD program is designed to meet the growing need for gang prevention and intervention services in Sonoma County, helping youth ages 13 to 18 to develop the assets and competencies that have been demonstrated to reduce risk for delinquency and promote engagement as productive members of family, school and community. Youth groups, held weekly at local schools and other community settings, follow an established curriculum embedded in a cognitive behavioral framework that addresses distortions and deficits in thinking which can lead to negative developmental pathways. Youth have the opportunity to participate in cultural and recreational outings and overnight wilderness trips to practice and apply lessons learned in a real life setting. Training and educational forums are also offered to parents and other community members to learn about what they can do to prevent the impact of gangs in their community and the resources available to them.

Program Director
Robert Abbot-Florez

Youth advocate and counselor Bob Florez provides direction and leadership for the CEYD program. Bob has more than 13 years’ experience working with gang youth and serves as a consultant regarding gang-related issues to a number of local agencies, including the County of Sonoma, and the Sonoma, Santa Rosa, and the Petaluma school districts. He also teaches psychology at Santa Rosa Junior College.