Introduction
The Asian Pacific Counselling and Treatment Center (APCTC), developed in 1977 within the Los Angeles County Mental Health Department (LACDMH), is an agency seeking to battle mental health issues among immigrants and refugees from Asia, Pacific and Islander regions. Asian-pacific families moved to the USA, contributing to over 65% of the population, and with most undocumented, the country developed anti-immigration policies (Mijares, 2020). Exposure to anti-immigration policies and racial discrimination could affect academic performance and transition into productive individuals in society (Yang & Li, 2022). Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is a youth mental health program that embraces various disciplines, including creativity, healing, body-mind coordination, neurology, therapy, psychology, observation, and evaluation (Mijares, 2020). Youth dance movement therapy is a strategic process that assists APCTC immigrants with psychological traumas to boost their moods and self-esteem and cultivate a healthy lifestyle.
Statement of the Problem
Problem statement: There are inadequate systems at APCTC for training and mentoring mentally oppressed adolescents to boost their morale, reducing the massive population to pessimists and passivity.
Organizational Vision and Mission
Vision: To develop a globally recognized dance movement therapy program at APCTC targeting young adolescents undergoing psychological and mental trauma, providing sustainable solutions to dealing with detrimental lifestyles, and developing individuals with positivity.
Mission: To exploit mental health tools and resources within the agency to assist Asian Pacific Islander immigrant and young refugee adolescents in realizing their self-esteem and developing positive lifestyles through dance.
Agency Overview
APCTC’s organizational structure is strategic and relevant to its goals and objectives. The advisory committee consists of community leaders committed to the institution’s mission of achieving mental health stability for its immigrant clients (Asian Pacific Counselling and Treatment Centers, n.d.).
Competition and Lesson
The 1981 Framework Physical Therapy Centre (FPTC) in LA is a critically acclaimed private institution that trains and mentors individuals using art, music, and dance while connecting diverse American cultures to accredited dance medicine experts. The lesson learned from the system is that change is vital, especially in ensuring youths are vibrant and productive in society (Will et al., 2017).
Program Plan
The DMT program will involve various tools, resources, and techniques to ensure effective implementation and application. The program seeks to get the attention of the APCTC board, staff and support committee, and young adolescents between ages 12 and 18 after evaluating the need, agency, and program description. The program aims at allowing the committee to design awareness resources specifying growth mentality to narrow the gap in mental health battles among the youth through dancing techniques (Mijares, 2020). The budget offers annual expenditure while allowing organizers to source funds from sponsors within the indicated ranges (Mcnabb, 2018). The evaluation’s main objective is to increase sensitization among target audiences at APCTC about youth low self-esteem limitations and their effects on personal development.
Summary and Conclusion
Recent century social stressors continue to affect social and community landscapes in how people perceive the youth. DMT project at APCTC enables youth to realize their maximum potential since they involve responsibility and accountability. The demographics and agencies rely on support from theoretical research and evidence-based practice, which correlates mental stability and dancing to constructive decision-making, which influences mood, self-esteem, and appreciation among the youth.
Appendices
Appendix A presents a clear outreach plan on participants, goals, and objectives.
Appendix C presents the budgeting plan’s estimated costs from 2023 to 2025, with Appendix B presenting factors under consideration.
Proposal
Evidenced-Based Analysis of Need
The global uprising of youth development and initiatives in the 21st century contributes to their desire to engage in a customs-informed understanding of mental health. Different communities have varying cultures and impact programs suitable for their youth development. The rationales for youth programs depend on the organization involved, the availability of funds, and agency objectives. Regardless, the programs aim to elevate the youths’ livelihood while providing sustainable mechanisms to enable them to live through the harsh realities of life. The Asian Pacific Counselling and Treatment Center (APCTC), developed in 1977 within the Los Angeles County Mental Health Department (LACDMH), is an agency seeking to battle mental health issues among immigrants and refugees from Asia, Pacific and Islander regions.
Asian-pacific based immigrant counseling communities mainly focus on service-oriented programs, which lets them harness the youth’s knowledge and expertise toward nation-building in solving critical development requirements. Youth programs originated in the early 20th century through a renowned US philosopher, William James. James suggested that “youths must engage in handling difficult tasks including fishing, mining, and construction,” leading to the establishment of visions concerning youth programs to aid development in society (Will et al., 2017). James’ insight into youth engagement in other challenging roles enticed President Franklin Roosevelt, who foresaw the adverse effects of the Great Depression. The economic status led to the establishment of programs to employ immigrant youths in community projects and nation-building.
The Government’s actions culminated in emigration policies to America from various regions to limit excessive damage from the economic decline. Asian-pacific families moved to the USA, contributing to over 65% of the population, and with most undocumented, the country developed anti-immigration policies (Mijares, 2020). The policies culminated in immigrant crackdowns, increased populations, declined access to social amenities and increased depression. Unfortunately, challenges concerning immigration still exist, and individuals have to employ strategic mechanisms, including dance therapy, to enable young adolescents to endure mental traumas.
Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is a mental health program that embraces various disciplines, including creativity, healing, body-mind coordination, neurology, therapy, psychology, observation, and evaluation. Adolescents undergo critical biological and physical changes which affect their cognitive comprehension (Mijares, 2020). Exposure to discrimination further alienates them from constructive communal affairs and focus on school activities. Scholars indicate that immigrants experience long-term effects from discrimination, including acculturation and anxiety. The initiatives focus on cultivating cultural acceptance, self-esteem, and mood improvement among young people toward national development.
The era of diverse youth engagement culminated in the global emergence of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), partaking in various projects under the management of educators and activists. Youth initiatives that emerged under the command of NGOs include Youth Build International, whose mandate involves providing at-risk youths within the low-income earning category with community-based sessions for learning and skill development (Yang & Li, 2022). The NGO youth initiatives, including mental health initiatives, developed in other continents, including Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. The initiatives focus on cultivating cultural acceptance, self-esteem, and mood improvement among young people toward national development.
NGO systems are currently dynamic, calling to action change and effective implementation of youth programs. Mental health programs at the Asian Pacific Counselling and Treatment Center (APCTC) are beneficial with strategic measures that aid USA immigrants in counseling from generational and anti-immigration traumas. The changing systems require reorganization and engaging the youth in upper-level decision-making through DMT projects (Lauffenburger, 2020). Exposure to anti-immigration policies and racial discrimination could lead to detrimental effects, affecting academic performance and transition into productive individuals in society.
Scholars agree that enhancing human capability correlates with personal and community development, and it is crucial to indulge cognitive and behavioral techniques to develop a holistic methodology. Common approaches to improving morale and self-esteem among young adolescents include developing protocols and implementing them (Mcnabb, 2018). The aim is to advocate for adaptability and encourage individuals to be receptive to different systems and work through generational traumas. For example, a youth-based official project in Florida and its neighboring states targeted those from low-revenue communities and families to divert their attention to social issues. Youth dance movement therapy is a strategic process that assists APCTC immigrants with psychological traumas to boost their moods and self-esteem and cultivate healthy lifestyles.
Statement of the Problem
The youth is a massive demographic globally and are primarily under oppression and depression from racial discrimination and intergenerational trauma. Society perceives adolescents as mentally vulnerable individuals they cannot trust with crucial matters, minimizing their interest in personal development. The lesser reflection of young people in effective therapeutic techniques at the APCTC limits their capacity to attain mood and self-esteem, which may culminate in adverse effects, including drug abuse, sexual misconduct, unwanted pregnancies, poor performance, and sexually transmitted infections (Will et al., 2017). There are inadequate systems for training and mentoring mentally oppressed adolescents to boost their morale, reducing the massive population to pessimists and passivity.
Organizational Vision and Mission
Vision
To develop a globally recognized dance movement therapy program at the APCTC targeting young adolescents undergoing psychological and mental trauma, providing sustainable solutions to dealing with detrimental lifestyles, and developing individuals with positivity.
Mission
To exploit mental health tools and resources within the agency to assist Asian Pacific Islander immigrant and refugee young adolescents to realize their self-esteem and develop positive lifestyles in various dimensions through dance.
Main Objective
The program’s primary objective involves sensitization and application of strategic protocols to boost morale, self-esteem, and cultural appreciation among the youth through a practical and outcome-oriented dance program.
Specific Objectives
- Identify research articles advocating for young adolescent dancing projects for mental health development.
- Assess current young adolescent-focused dance therapy protocols and DMT implementation at APCTC.
- Identify the problem, need, competition, and lesson learned, and establish a youth program plan addressing mental health development through DMT to improve interest in crucial issues among young children.
- Identify relevant agencies, tools, resources, and equipment for DMT program development.
- Investigate the program plan to identify its feasibility at APCTC.
Agency Overview
Over the years, the high number of immigrants and refugees accessing mental health services became a concern in Asian-pacific communities and the US administration. This action led to the institution’s evolution from Government-regulated to NGO in 1990 due to the intensive growth programs and several funding channels. Currently, the APCTC, with its main headquarters in Los Angeles (LA), categorizes with the Special Service Group Inc. (SSG) auspices since it still has partial collaborations with LACDMH (Asian Pacific Counselling and Treatment Centers, n.d.). The agency’s contributions towards society contribute to its achievement and evolution with adequate support from LACDMH, California Rehabilitation Department (CRD), and LAC Children and Family Services Department (CFSD).
APCTC’s organizational structure is strategic and relevant to its goals and objectives. The advisory committee consists of community leaders committed to the institution’s mission of achieving mental health stability for its immigrant clients. The organization comprises approximately one hundred competent mental health experts, paraprofessionals, and support staff. The licensed experts emerge from several disciplines, including psychology, psychiatry, therapy, social work, counseling, nursing, and case management. The team corresponds to Asian Pacific or Hispanic culture and bilingualism in languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Filipino, Laotian, and Thai (Asian Pacific Counselling and Treatment Centers, n.d.). The institution employs workers who relate to most clientele to enhance communication, therapy, and counseling programs.
The Competition and Lesson learned
The USA has recently become a hub for youth awareness and DMT development. The 1981 Framework Physical Therapy Centre (FPTC) in LA is a critically acclaimed private institution that trains and mentors individuals using art, music, and dance while connecting diverse American cultures to accredited dance medicine experts. The program is competitive towards ensuring that youths engage in physical dance activities and receive counseling. Besides its cultural diversity, FPTC collaborates with learning institutions to train and mentor dancing skills among children. The lesson learned from the system is that change is vital, and psychological and physical body control ensures youths are vibrant and productive in society (Will et al., 2017).
Program Plan
Why this Agency
The rationale for APCTC as the agency of choice relies on its existential organizational structure, objectives, mission, and vision, which are core for guidance and counseling. The agency has over fifteen-year experience in rehabilitating individuals with mental trauma, including children, adolescents, youth, and elderly immigrants in the USA. The agency captures the select youth demographic for DMT program development (Asian Pacific Counselling and Treatment Centers, n.d.). APCTC’s support system is relevant to exploring youth potential in the region, which can overlap with other structures and environments globally.
There is an excellent correlation between dance and mental stability. The agency assists the youth in regaining efficient mental capacity through rehabilitation services. Therefore, APCTC provides opportunities for youth to establish mood control and lead trauma-free lifestyles. The existing systems are sufficient and do not require costly resources to integrate, making the program merge well with the agency’s goals (Asian Pacific Counselling and Treatment Centers, n.d.). The agency’s administrative system employing competent individuals aids its contribution to the program, which the youth can influence in their journey to gaining direction in their lives without the intense effects of acculturation. As a non-profit agency, APCTC contains heterogeneous structures for integrating adolescent mood and esteem development programs.
Program Summary
Most NGO welfares focus on elevating the mood and self-esteem of young adolescents, especially the economically, physically, and psychologically disadvantaged. The program aims at providing sustainable therapeutic solutions through DMT by providing rehabilitative support groups for counseling and dance exercises. Specific organizations strive to give every youth program without considering the ultimate burden on the recipients without adequate guidance (Yang & Li, 2022). The program focuses on children’s DMT progression to enable them to live fulfilled, communicative and participatory lives within their communities and borders.
The DMT program will involve various tools and techniques to ensure effective implementation and application. The first activity consists in conducting an assessment of existing program limitations to youth mood development. Second, the program will narrow the challenges and focus on solving a fundamental problem (Lauffenburger, 2020). Third, involve competent individuals in children’s mental development by training them on basic dance skills using practical tools. Fourth, use the team to conduct a feasibility study on the established protocols. The fifth step involves collecting data using appropriate tools and implementing and monitoring its effectiveness at the agency.
The Need for the Program
The DMT as a mental health approach for young adolescents culminated from the team’s assessment of the challenges incurred from existing youth projects. Governmental and non-governmental agencies apply sufficient mechanisms towards engaging the youth, especially since its inception in the USA. These community-based youth projects effectively address social injustices, including race, gender, sexuality, drug and substance abuse, and ethnic affiliations (Mijares, 2020). Youth’s indulgence in co-curricular voluntary sessions increases positivity toward life and growth, allowing them to find a solution to social injustices without succumbing to depression and poverty.
The program affiliated with the APCTC institution addresses youth challenges concerning mental stability and allows Asian-origin immigrants to appreciate their cultural backgrounds. Research indicates that despite the opportunities created for the youth within NGO platforms to increase positivity, few consider mentally preparing adolescents through the art of music and dance (Lauffenburger, 2020). Youth who do not find meaning within different organizations end up engaging in inappropriate behavior. Furthermore, APCTC’s mission and organizational system exhibit a strong foundation in assisting the youth through psychological challenges.
Intended Audience
The program seeks to get the attention of the APCTC board, staff, and support committee and 12 and 29-year-old youths. Different systems have age ranges considered youthful (Mijares, 2020). Most systems recognize the age bracket of 12 to 30 years, just during early adolescence and before adulthood. The section of this age range for the program is because at 12 and 29 years old, most individuals begin the journey towards critical mental and physical changes to adolescence and adulthood. They may require comprehension of societal expectations without interfering with their morale and self-esteem.
Youth between the ages of 12 and 29 may endure hardships concerning the imminent stages and feel pressured to deliver or perform. Without appropriate skills, such persons may fail to achieve their dreams and expectations (Lauffenburger, 2020). The program will involve the youths within the APCTC program while encouraging others from neighboring institutions to join. APCTC staff and management are critical since the DMT program will utilize their individual and organizational skills and resources.
Program Description and Benefits
Decision-making and communication are crucial for the youth program since they enhance morale and self-esteem. The team will investigate the development approaches within competing agencies instead of the organizational networks, which will act as a minor consideration towards developing specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time-oriented (SMART) goals and objectives (Mcnabb, 2018). The rationale culminates from the societal viewpoint that youths between ages 12 and 29 elicit several significant needs, such as identification with specific groups, friendships, freedom, communication, and community affiliation. These needs establish the youth’s desire to find alternatives for meeting the demands in multi-dimensional, positive, or opposing approaches.
The program examines how to incorporate dance classes within APCTC and improve one’s self-esteem and mood. The key activities will include forming teams of 12 to 18 years and 19 to 29 years and assigning experts and support staff proportionately to the two teams. The teams will engage in various activities, including daily self and group assessments, watching videos of how heroic persons use dance to elevate mood, conducting dance lessons, and asking questions (Yang & Li, 2022). This DMT program will be vital in addressing youths’ attitudes and self-esteem.
The program investigates significant contributors and the impacts of DMT projects on young people and the community. Aspects considered include its relationship with their academic and family welfare to provide personal and vital insights into an individual’s openness to the program at school, home, and community (Will et al., 2017). Exploring practical body movement skills and protocols in the program accounts for youth responsibility and accountability. NGO support for the program is essential for engaging limitless systems in resources and funds for achieving positivity among the youth.
The program consists of several individual and communal benefits, including developing an organization and management mentality. The program assists low-motivated individuals to seek higher targets in life and achieve their dreams. There is the advantage of boosting an individual’s social, mental, and health welfare. Empowered youths gain the urge and resilience to assist the community’s progress through engaging in development activities such as cleaning and nation-building services (Mijares, 2020). The platform also encourages sponsors to consider and invest in youthful opportunities through NGOs since they are core to the future progression of society and the world. Youth DMT empowerment programs facilitate constructive socialization, work productivity, and poverty alleviation.
Outreach Plan
Program inception will first involve mass awareness creation within the institution. The approach will introduce aspects concerning the proposed youth program and seek input from the intended audience. Mass awareness parameters will include designing posters, emails, memorandums, and social media networks (Lauffenburger, 2020). The program aims to attract the youth through open and street dance challenges, allowing the public to experience the joy attributed to DMT. Interested youths and activists will receive application guidelines to enable them officially join the project.
Successful candidates in terms of demographics will undergo interviewing sessions to gather more information and evaluate their agreeableness to the program and later join the APCTC community. The subjects must complete the list of activities within the mandated duration of three to six months (Lauffenburger, 2020). Participants’ collaboration and the methodology will focus on activities towards attaining objectives (see Appendix 1). Successful completion of the program will culminate in replicating positive adolescent projects while addressing mental health concerns and eliminating societal vices associated with youths.
Staffing and Training Needed
Required staffing will include a minimum of thirty-five youths, fifteen between 12 and 18 years, and twenty between 19 and 29 years. The program will involve special needs training using APTCTC resources for participants with a disability. The additional staffing required besides the APCTC staff includes two parents, one mentor, two art therapists, two teachers, and five dance instructors. The goal of the professionals will be to train and supervise the youth through mental health assessments and dance practice. The parents and mentors will offer support systems to the youth during the activities (Mcnabb, 2018).
Facilities and Equipment Needed
The program will utilize facilities and resources within the APCTC agency. The rehabilitation center has spacious rooms for group discussions, dance sessions, and individual interviews. The rooms with dense vinyl flooring will require a few classic pieces of furniture, including tables, chairs, and at least one white/blackboard (Mijares, 2020). The program will provide props such as pens, notebooks, tape, markers, and audio and video equipment for the exercises. However, participants must attend sessions with appropriate dance attire, including shoes and clothes, which will be on APCTC’s catalog. Other resources for the program include interview and survey forms which will be accessible online and offline on the APCTC official website and social media pages.
Budget 2023-2025
Appendix B presents factors under consideration and activities leading towards the formulation of a cost analysis in Appendix C. Appendix C manipulation presents the budgetary conditions under normal circumstances while also including a commentary with 8% annual inflation (Mcnabb, 2018). The budget offers annual expenditure while allowing organizers to source funds from sponsors within the indicated ranges in Appendix C.
Program Evaluation Procedures and Benchmarks
The program evaluation design focuses on every crucial aspect of the main DMT program. The evaluation’s primary objective is to increase sensitization among target audiences at APCTC about the DMT program’s limitations and their effects on personal and community development (Will et al., 2017). The evaluation team will focus on the youths associated with the program, and the duration depends on all participants’ activities. The evaluation program will enable coordinators to employ competent participants who will apply evidence-based research to extrapolate the program’s capacity to achieve desirable outcomes.
The following activities of the evaluation model will focus on the general effects of the program. The evaluation panel will investigate the impacts on the youth and society and deliberate on how insights will activate change while encouraging the youth to adopt positive lifestyles and interests through dance art and therapy. The procedures will aid participants in evaluating the program’s benefits from the results established at APCTC (Yang & Li, 2022). The process will involve a cost-benefit analysis to measure the program’s plausibility. The evaluation outcome will provide substantial reports for the experts to establish the program’s feasibility.
Summary and Conclusion
Recent century social stressors continue to affect social and community landscapes in how people perceive the youth. Issues emerge when immigrants move with their families to better livelihoods, which may affect young adolescents mentally due to discrimination and intergenerational trauma. DMT projects enable youth to realize their maximum potential since they involve responsibility and accountability. The rationale for the selected demographics and agencies relies on support from theoretical research and evidence-based practice, which correlates mental stability and dancing to constructive decision-making, which influences mood, self-esteem, and appreciation among the youth. Community-based DMT services and projects encourage mental health analysis and psychological preparations. The youth gain control of their love and society, leading to immeasurable positive outcomes in mood development and improved self-esteem.
Bibliography
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Mcnabb, D. E. (2018). Research methods for public administration and non-profit management. New York London Routledge.
Mijares, S. (2020). Mitigating Loss, discrimination, and acculturation: Supporting long-term immigrants through Dance/Movement Therapy, A Literature Review.
Will, M. G., Roth, S., & Valentinov, V. (2017). From non-profit diversity to organizational multi-functionality: A systems–theoretical proposal. Administration & Society, 50(7), 1015–1036. Web.
Yang, L., & Li, F. (2022). Application of Dance Movement Therapy to life-death education of college students under educational psychology. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.