AMIkids Gainesville Program featured in Gainesville Sun

December 18, 2017 – – AMIkids Gainesville Program was featured in a Gainesville Sun article highlighting the care they provide for students working to transform their lives.

The article emphasized the bonding and building relationships with every student that the faculty and staff at AMIkids practice as part of their mission. The recent aid that was provided to a student who had recently lost his mother was shared at the Alachua County Juvenile Justice Council monthly meeting by Dan Bacallao, executive director of the non-profit school.

“We have a former staff member who is a funeral director, and when he found out the family wasn’t able to pay for funeral services, he stepped in and did all of the funeral arrangements for free,” Bacallao said. “It really made an impact on David and his family in a positive way by having so many people reach out to them with love.”

The Sun described the three main aspects of the work of the school funded by the Department of Juvenile Justice and the School Board of Alachua County – treatment, education, and behavioral modification. Treatment includes two evidence-based programs – anger management and drug counseling. The education subjects includes english, math, reading, science and social studies. The behavior modification program uses a points system to track and reward good behavior which is part of the requirements for graduation.

AMIkids was also recognized for their job placement program for students. Out of 35 students in the placement program, 20 have already successfully secured jobs.

Terra Tillman, 18, said, “They give us the individual help we need here and they really go all the way for us. It’s like a big family here.”

To read the full article – click here.

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Contact AMIkids, Inc:

Joseph Gallina
813-523-9600
JGallina@AMIkids.org
AMIkids, Inc. National Office
5915 Benjamin Center Drive
Tampa, FL 33634

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