During the 2004 school year, we launched our first Promises After-School Group program at The Accelerated School in South Los Angeles. The program has trained 30 counselors and provides treatment to at-risk children and their parents, all of whom have an increased chance of success and a reduced risk of substance abuse. Using the Strengthening Family's curriculum, the program's course includes 14 classes, all of which are taken concurrently by parents and their children meeting twice a week over a seven-week period. Each 90 minute session is a combination of skills-building exercises and group therapy tailored specifically to reduce the risk factors for substance abuse: depression, violence, delinquency, and school failure. By addressing these issues in peer groups as well as family meetings there is an inherent support system created to empower these children to make healthier and more productive life choices.