Lynwood Unified School Superintendent Presents Recently Launched Intervention Program

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In an effort to provide guidance and help for troubled youths in Lynwood, the school district's superintendent Ed Velasquez has helped launch a series of programs meant to help students' various needs. 

Aside from the , Velasquez also helped launch the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department very own Vital Intervention and Direction Alternatives (VIDA) program in Lynwood this school year.

"This is a 16 [week] program to help those individuals who need the mentoring, the guidance and the support," said Velasquez during Tuesday's school board meeting. 

According to Velasquez, the program utilizes local resources such as drug prevention and counseling agencies. 

VIDA was started in the mid 1990s and works with delinquent children who are referred to the program by juvenile courts, law enforcement, school districts and parents. 

"The students are screened for background criminal checks to see if what they are saying and what their parents are saying is true,” said Deputy England of the Century Sheriff's Station who presented the full report before the school board. “So we aren't bringing in bad apples into the bunch."

In the 16 weeks of the program students are monitored at school and at home by VIDA staff, which are comprised of psychology graduate students from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

According to England, anyone working with students  is screened by the Sheriff's Department to reduce the amount of risk brought into that environment. 

The instructors also try to reduce truancy and improve the academic performance of the student, and on Saturdays Sheriff's deputies lead students in light workout and conditioning drills.

The instructors also speak about the importance of hygiene, personal health and physical conditioning, as well as individual and group dynamics.

Board member Rachel Chavez raised concerns about the physical workout of the program, describing the drills as "too militaristic," according to her. 

England, however, said that the workouts were considered "light" and not on the same level as boot camp-like drills.

Board member Jose Luis Solache praised the work of the VIDA program, and its crucial role and need with families. 

"Having these resources known in our community will really help out the families in Lynwood," said Solache.

For more information on VIDA, visit the site or contact the Lynwood Unified School District at 31-886-1600.

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