Programs & Services

PROGRAMS

Teens Making A Change (TMAC)  | WEDNESDAY EVENINGS FROM 5:30 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. CO-ED

TMAC engages youth and men participants of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds, in healthy dialogues regarding life’s challenges. TMAC brings young men together for mentorship, and provides a safe place for youth to talk/express themselves in a non-toxic manner. Encouraging and acknowledging each other’s gifts and strengths is a method used to motivate the youth to develop leadership skills, and become prosperous in their own life journey’s amongst their communities. 

Sisters Making A Change (SMAC)  | WEDNESDAY EVENINGS FROM 5:30 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. CO-ED 

SMAC is a safe space where young women come to discover themselves in many different roles. Week by week these young women are encouraged to see beyond their circumstances, and really begin to dream about their future. In pursuit of identity and self-awareness, SMAC ventures out of comfort zones and seeks new ways to engage these young women towards envisioning and realizing their full potential. 

Parents/People Making A Change (PMAC) | THIRD WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH FROM 5:30 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. (postponed due to Covid19-Next meeting TBD)

PMAC is open for everyone to attend, and is a space provided where community members have critical discussions about community needs. This is where institutions and community come together for dialogue and plans for action(s) on how to better serve our community through various areas such as criminal justice, health equities, immigration, parenting, positive youth engagement, education, social economics, and community development. 

*Dinner is always provided for TMAC, SMAC, and PMAC sessions

PARTNERSHIPS 

Community Engagement Center (CEC) | The University of New Mexico

Nurtures leadership for community capacity building in neighborhoods where the social determinants of inequity result in major health disparities. Over 800 university students, community college and high school students have apprenticed with local partners through CEC AmeriCorps programs. Through civic engagement and anti-racism training Corps Members gain an understanding of the root causes of health disparities. [Find out more about Community Engagement Center here: http://cec.unm.edu/]

FoodCorps New Mexico 

FoodCorps NM is dedicated to equipping their service members with the skills, knowledge, and experiences to address the root causes of food injustices, while also providing hands-on training and technical assistance in subjects like organic farming, school gardening, traditional foods, and community organizing. La Plazita Institute hires and selects full-time FoodCorps service member(s) who coordinate various La Plazita Garden programs and educational activities, providing nutrition education classes to Albuquerque Charter Schools and Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention. [Find out more about FoodCorps NM here: https://foodcorps.org/ ] 

SERVICES

Youth Reporting Center | MONDAY – FRIDAY 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

The Youth Reporting Center (YRC) diversion program provides alternative leadership guidance to youth assigned by the Community Custody Program (CCP) and other court programs. Youth are supervised Monday through Friday in the daytime for 30 days. The program provides families extra support, until the youth is returned to an educational setting, a job, or can reintegrate back into the community with adequate supervision in their home.

A variety of structured programs are offered that are geared towards skill-based instruction that promotes, encourages and reinforces proactive and acceptable social behaviors. Programs may include: educational opportunities such as the High School Equivalency Program (Equivalent to High School Diploma), participation in civic duties within their communities, equine therapy, conflict literacy, certified organic agriculture practices, cooking classes, drug and alcohol prevention and education, life-skills, employment support, and physical activities such as boxing and archery. Our YRC program coordinator’s are dedicated to offering continuing services that provide positive alternatives to secure detention. 

Pathways Program/Community Health Navigator(s)

The Pathways Program is designed to improve the overall health of individuals and families by connecting them to appropriate services that are offered in Bernalillo County. Pathways Navigator(s) identify and recruit difficult-to-reach clients, build a relationship of trust with them, and assess their risks and needs. Clients, with the guidance of Navigators, choose the outcomes they wish to attain. Navigators then guide the client along different pathways, each of which is specific to a prioritized need until meaningful outcomes are achieved.

The Pathways Program goal is to provide the highest level of health and social services coordination and a referral network providing the following assistance: 

  • Behavioral Health
  • Vision and Hearing
  • Employment
  • Food Security
  • Transportation
  • Disability Applications & Appeals
  • Dental
  • Substance Abuse Prevention
  • Legal Services
  • Medical Debt
  • Public Benefits
  • Continuing Education
  • Primary Care
  • Housing Assistance
  • Utilities
  • Victims Advocacy 
  • Driver’s License & I.D. 
  • Pharmacy & Medication Access

Traditional & Cultural Healing Services ( Urban Indigenous and Mesoamerica)

La Plazita Institute’s Traditional and Cultural Healing Services are traditional ceremonial processes and practices conducted since time immemorial. These services provide self-identified Indigenous urban families, incarcerated populations, and re-entry citizens an opportunity to participate in these core traditions and practices.

Services Offered:

  • Limpias (Spiritual Energy Cleansing)
  • Sobadas (Mesoamerican massage)
  • Remedios (Home herbal remedies)
  • Ventosas (Cupping)
  • Aromatherapy
  • Community Sweat Lodge
  • Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center Pipe Ceremonies

*Please call ahead of time regarding any of the Traditional and Cultural Healing Services regarding protocols and scheduling.

Tibetan Tai Chi | TUESDAY EVENINGS FROM 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.

Acudetox | Every Monday and Friday at 4:00 P.M. 

According to the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol, Acudetox is a relaxing treatment, and can enhance recovery at any phase. Delivered by Certified Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist, it is unique, in that it is effective regardless of the clients’ motivation, and tends to increase the ability to participate in other forms of therapy. It opens up the possibilities of the mind, body, and spirit, treating the whole human body. Today it is primarily used for prevention and treatment programs for substance abuse, relapse prevention, and harm reduction. The Acudetox program has an 80% success rate to assist with craving, anxiety and depression. Acudetox is a service held weekly for youth, adults and community members in need. 

All programs and services are free of charge