Overview of 4WARDSTEPS
OUR PROGRAM FLOW
4WARDSTEPS (Program) Vision & Purpose
4WARDSTEPS is our flagship, direct-action, 90-day transitional support program, designed to move individuals from surviving → thriving. It provides trauma-informed, mental health–centered care to people facing humanitarian crises such as homelessness, and deportation trauma.
Our program fills a critical gap in the aid ecosystem: while most crisis responses focus on food, shelter, or safety, we deliver specialized mental health and wellness services to help individuals truly heal and rebuild.
Delivery Model: Specific Demographic Groups
4WARDSTEPS operates through providing services to specific demographic groups, targeting specific populations in crises and sets up temporary yet fully functional service hubs (physical or digital) to deliver our three tiers of services.
This campaign approach allows us to:
- Respond rapidly to urgent crises.
- Tailor services to the unique needs of each group (homeless, deported families, war survivors).
- Scale efficiently by concentrating resources on high-impact groups.
Every participant, regardless of demographic, is guided by a dedicated Wellness Coordinator who ensures services are delivered in a personalized, step-by-step manner.
Program Flow: From Intake to Thriving
(3 CORE SERVICE STEPS - OF THE 5 TOTAL STAGES WITHIN OUR PROCESS)
Intake & Assessment
- Individuals enter the program through various opportunities and sources.
- Intake determines appropriateness for entry into step Step 1 (Survival & Safety) or directly into Steps 2–3 (Mental Health & Support - a more stabilized pathway to recovery) if already connected to other systems (government, nonprofits).
- Each participant is assigned a Wellness Coordinator.
Step 1 – Survival & Safety (Emergency Support) (applied only if needed)
- For individuals coming directly from the streets or crises with no support system.
- Services include:
• Emergency cash aid
• Temporary shelter placement
• Medically tailored meals
• Hygiene & sanitation kits - This stabilizes the participant before transitioning to deeper healing services.
Step 2 – Direct Mental Health Services
- Core of the program; delivered individually, conjointly, or in groups
- Services include:
• Counseling (in-person or digital)
• Group therapy & peer circles
• Trauma-informed creative therapies (art, music, dance, gardening)
• Play therapy for children
• Advanced interventions (EMDR – 70% PTSD reduction; TMS – 77% clinical response)
• Medication management & psychiatric support
Step 3 – Support & Resources (Wellness, Resilience, Community)
- Long-term stabilization through holistic supports. (we connect them)
- Services include:
• Healing & emotional intelligence workshops
• Yoga, meditation, and physical fitness programs (proven to reduce anxiety 40%)
• Animal-assisted therapy + Therapeutic recreation (boosts treatment adherence 25%)
• Social/community connection opportunities
• Job readiness, education, and employment pathways
• 24/7 crisis communication support (hotline, text, in-person response teams)
Ongoing Evaluation & Transition
- Progress is monitored through regular, trauma-informed check-ins, ensuring care is responsive to each client’s needs and psychological well-being.
- After 90 days, individuals are transitioned to sustained community-based supports or advanced care as needed.
- Upon completion of the program, individuals will be equipped with appropriate strategies, guidance, tools, and resources to ensure sustainable progress.
CURRENT DEMOGRAPHICS
4WARDSTEPS in Action: Current Active Demographics (we focus on the children and youth – along with their families)
1. LA Homelessness – Mental Health for the Unhoused (Ongoing)
- Crisis Context: 75,500+ unhoused in LA; 73% unsheltered. Deaths rose 300% in the past decade due to fentanyl, untreated illness, and violence.
- Services Delivered: Cash aid, therapy, medication, 24/7 hotline, job/employment pathways.
- Special Adaptation: Step 1 is critical, most enter directly from the streets. Step 2 focuses on addiction and trauma therapies.
- 2026 Goal: Scale to 2,000 individuals served.
2. UNHEARD VOICES
---> Currently ONLY focused on Immigrant Families Facing Raids & Deportation Trauma through UNHEARD VOICES <---
The trauma of family separation and ICE raids leaves lasting scars on immigrant parents and children alike. We provide stabilization, grief counseling, and culturally informed care to help families rebuild trust, process loss, and reclaim their sense of belonging and security. We work in the Los Angeles area and several other cities throughout the United States.
We provide pop-up healing centers to provide safe spaces and culturally sensitive therapies - after we have identified who the families of these kidnapped victims are.
- 2026 Goal: Help the families of 100 survivors
Scale
4WARDSTEPS and each of our campaigns we launch are designed for scalability, allowing successful pilots in Los Angeles to expand nationwide and adapt to individual crises. This flexibility not only meets a growing demand for mental health services serves as an effective and replicable solution to pressing social issues.
Our History
Founded in 2022, A New Era America has spent the past three years on the ground and behind the scenes, researching, developing, and testing what truly works to heal and empower communities in crisis. Through pilot programs and direct outreach, we have helped individuals across Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and cities throughout Texas rebuild their lives with dignity, wellness, and mental health at the center. Our work is the result of years of listening, learning, and leading with compassion, proving that lasting change begins with understanding. As we expand our programs and take this nationwide, our commitment remains unwavering: to restore hope, transform systems, and help every person we serve move forward toward a brighter, more stable future.
Our Team
Our team is made up of dedicated individuals (both employees and volunteers) who are passionate about making a difference in the world, starting in the United States. From our volunteers to our board members and staff, everyone at A New Era America is committed to our mission and the individuals we serve.
How we Customize per Demographic
Each demographic group is offered the same 3-tier (steps) program, but services are customized to the unique trauma and environment of the target population and individual. Although the program is designed to be complete after 90 days, many clients may repeat the program for an additional 90 days depending on their state, readiness, acuteness, and overall determination by our team.
- Survival phase needs differ (homelessness → shelter/food; Ice Raids Victims → medical kits and emergency cash for families).
- Mental health modalities are adapted (children of deported families receive play therapy and peer circles; unhoused individuals receive group and animal-assisted healing).
- Community supports reflect cultural or situational needs (ICE raids victims may require language/job support; unhoused may need housing pathways resources).