22May
Atiim is focused, dedicated and passionate about helping those in the Back on Track and Transitions San Francisco programs stay on the pathway to a life of success, even when it is sometimes a rocky road. A Bay Area native of African-American and Filipino descent, Atiim earned his master’s degree at the University of San Francisco, and he brought his impressive arsenal of talents to Felton institute in 2012.
The Back on Track Program (BOT) was created by Kamala Harris during her tenure as District Attorney of San Francisco. It is a prosecutor-led re-entry model focused on preventing recidivism among non-violent first time offenders. The program requires a minimum 12 month commitment that provides therapy, educational, career, parenting, health and community goal training with each participant creating a personal responsibility plan with their case-managers and a (POC) plan of care with their Felton therapist to help achieve his or her goals.
This collaborative venture of the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, Goodwill and Felton means that successful graduates of the year long program will not go to prison or jail nor be placed on probation or parole, and that their cases will be dismissed. The participants pay restitution to society by completing 220 hours of community service with agencies like Glide Memorial Church and other non-profits in and around San Francisco and Alameda Counties.
Atiim has a warm yet firm demeanor; he listens and speaks with a discerning and compassionate spirit. When someone is referred to the Back on Track program, there is a six week suitability period; Boykin’s skills play a key role in assessing appropriate candidates.
“I support a clientele of individuals who are conditioned by community violence, aka trauma, grief, and loss. These individuals are primarily people of color from low-income and high-crime neighborhoods, as they unfortunately go hand and hand. For most of my clients, Felton is their first contact with a mental health clinician.
So, we are charged with the responsibility of gathering important bio-psycho-social information from a clientele whose level of trust for ‘outsiders’ is very minimal. This is because of distrust for authority figures, due to a history of real and perceived personal and community injustice.”
Atiim’s work in the BOT program of Restorative Justice is in alignment with his personal mission to improve every aspect of the world he touches.
“The grace of the BOT program builds a bit of trust with a community that needs to feel included, respected, and human in the eyes of their government, both local and national. BOT is a healing agent, and I am glad to be a member of the Back On Track team.”
As full as his plate is with his responsibilities as Lead Therapist for Back on Track and Transitions SF programs, Atiim also leads a band (FatheR BrotheR Sun), and has also established a loyal following as a recording artist. To learn more about the personal side of this multi-talented, multi-faceted member of the Felton family, visit www.atiimchenzira.com.
Written by Janice Edwards, 5/2015