Gang Reduction and Intervention Team (GRIT)

The Gang Reduction and Intervention Team (GRIT) program uses a combination of intensive case management along with individual and family counseling to help curb gang activity in youth at risk for gang involvement or youth who are currently gang-involved.

GRIT serves youth ages 12-18 that are currently involved in the juvenile justice system and already have gang affiliation or are frequently associating with peers who have gang affiliation. Youth must be referred to GRIT by a Wake County court counselor. If a community program staff is working with a youth they suspect to have gang involvement, please reach out to the youth’s court counselor and request a referral be made to GRIT.

GRIT staff use an evidence-based curriculum called Risks and Decisions where staff help youth identify risky people, places, and situations, and provide specific intervention to address each risk. Youth in this program also receive weekly individualized counseling that focuses on changing beliefs, thoughts, and problematic behavior patterns and replacing them with responsible behaviors, as well as monthly family counseling to provide supervision and monitoring to any challenges parents or caregivers may have.

This program serves each youth for approximately 4-5 months depending on the youth’s need. The goal of GRIT is to prevent and reduce gang violence, gang activity, and delinquent behavior among the population served.

For more information, contact Amy Spalding, Program Director: Diversion and Intervention Services at 919-833-3312 ext. 102 or aspalding@havenhousenc.org.

Program Documentation: