MASH is an acronym for "Making A lot of Stuff Happen in the community." It is a word play on the concept of a mobile army surgical hospital unit, which serves as battlefield emergency rooms during times of armed conflict.
In a way, our community is also a battlefield where gang and youth violence are unfortunate, regular occurrences. The BUFI/CONNETS MASH Unit is a sort of mobile surgical unit also. Rather than scalpels and sponges, our team's instruments will be consistent and direct personal contact with gang-affiliated young people and their families, or "patients", if you will, to build mutually trusting relationships in order to intervene where possible and prevent youth violence.
Once these relationships have been secured, the MASH Unit will also refer the young person and/or their families to a variety of social service agencies, schools, elected officials, and employment and training services.