Youth Development & Advocacy

Intra-School and Juvenile Justice Programs

We seek to implement and deliver mentoring services and mental wellness workshops to middle and high school students, and to youth populations that are involved in the juvenile justice system (including those youth currently placed within a juvenile correctional facility or those who have recently been released from a juvenile facility).

EXIST TO INTERVENE x Modern Abolition

Exist To Intervene II LLC was founded in Roseville, CA in 2018 by Clay Rojas. Our company has been providing behavioral health and mental health services to the highest needs student and athlete populations in Placer and Sacramento Counties.

Clay Rojas

– MA Counseling Psychology, Mental Conditioning Coach

Clay holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. The major focus of Clay’s work has been with youth and young adult student-athletes, as well as those who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. He works with groups as well as individuals for mental conditioning.

Clay is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and is also a decorated veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Clay was honorably discharged from military service in 2005. When he is not working on refining his craft, Clay is busy trying to be a good husband and father.

Gilbert "gilrilla" Acevedo III

Happily married (16 yrs) to his stunning and wonderful wife Stacy Acevedo: Kids: Rocco (13), Knox (11), Bronx (6), Nova (4), Joe (18), Cheyenne (24), and Sokha Chan (27). He has worked with youth for close to 20 years.

He is the Founder | CEO of non-profit Modern Abolition: a lifestyle non- profit brand that uses art and creativity to Inform, Inspire, and Impact the world for the greater good. The Pupil Project is his leadership development program, that Equips, Empowers, and Develops youth and young adults, by providing resources, and skillset training, for personal, social, academic, and career development - cultivating a movement of high capacity leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs. In his spare time he adores his beautiful wife, creates artwork, writes and makes music (gil and the lion - available on all platforms), drinks a lot of coffee, and quotes Nacho Libre.

Who we are:

We are a group of individuals committed to the rescue and redemption of those who’ve been labeled as lost, throwaways, or just hopeless. We are comprised of people with vast education and experience from pastors and licensed therapists who learned in school, to those who learned in life and even behind bars. Most of us look like the youth we serve and have similar stories.

What we do:

Modern Abolition and Exist to Intervene II have teamed up to bring mental health workshops delivered in a fun and culturally relevant manner to students during their school day. We bring this revolutionary experience to students in school as well as those incarcerated.

Why we do it:

America is in a mental health crisis and our young people are suffering.

1

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people age 15 to 24 in the U.S. Nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Source

2

Researchers believe that brain changes in adolescence increase a teen's vulnerability to depression and anxiety, and play a role in the severe gender disparity in these disorders. There is a nearly two-fold increase in mood disorders from 13 to 18, from 8.4% to 15.

Source

Curriculum Design

Our curriculums are carefully crafted by mental health experts who have a strong background in working with adolescents and justice involved youth. We also mix in other evidence based programing to enhance our proprietary system. Our program is crucial for fostering a supportive and healthy learning environment. Such programs promote emotional resilience, reduce stress, and improve overall mental health, enabling students to thrive academically and personally. By prioritizing mental wellness, schools and other institutions can help students develop essential coping skills, enhance their well-being, and create a positive, inclusive community.