Anne Rambo, Ph.D., faculty in the Department of Family Therapy (DFT) in NSU’s Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) and DFT student interns are an integral part of a collaborative intervention and prevention program through the Broward County School District called Preventing Recidivism through Opportunities, Mentoring, Interventions, Support & Education (PROMISE). The program is designed to assist Broward County students who have committed non-violent infractions by providing counseling, mentoring, and behavioral support. Rather than an arrest, these students will be referred to PROMISE. Rambo coordinates DFT interns who provide family therapy services.
“The impact on the community is shown by the fact that in its first month of operation recidivism – students suspended more than once for the same or similar offense – fell from 51 percent to 13 percent,” said Rambo.
Other involved groups include the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) Broward Public Defenders, NAACP , the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit and the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Rambo has extensive experience working with children, families and schools. She was named to the board in Broward County of the “Credentialed by 26” project. Credentialed by 26 is a nationwide, multi-state grant project designed to increase graduation rates among at risk high school students. She currently supervises master’s and doctoral level family therapy interns providing services in several public and charter schools. Rambo helped to found SUPERB, Students United with Parents and Educators to Resolve Bullying, which is now its own fully funded private nonprofit agency.