Newark Community Street Team Inc

“A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THIS IS JUST COMMUNITY ACTIVISM, AS IF WE GO OUTSIDE AND SAY,“STOP THE VIOLENCE.” OUR WORK GOES MUCH DEEPER. IT’S TRAININGS, IT’S STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, IT’S FORMULAS THAT ALLOW US TO ENGAGE INDIVIDUALS AND DE-ESCALATE SITUATIONS.” – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DAAMIN DURDIN     THE NEWARK COMMUNITY STREET TEAM (NCST)’S "STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY BASED PUBLIC SAFETY: NEWARK’S TARGETED INTERVENTIONS" IS AN EXPANSION OF ITS COLLABORATIVE NEIGHBORHOOD-CENTERED, EVIDENCE-BASED, DATA-DRIVEN EFFORT TO REDUCE AND PREVENT CRIME (WITH A FOCUS ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION). IT COMBINES CRIME SUPPRESSION ACTIVITIES LED BY NCST, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND OTHER CRIMINAL AND JUVENILE JUSTICE AGENCIES, WITH HUMAN AND SOCIAL SERVICE PREVENTION ACTIVITIES ADDRESSING RISK FACTORS FOR CRIME, TARGETED TO PEOPLE AND PLACES AT HIGH RISK OF CRIME OR VICTIMIZATION. THIS PROJECT WILL ENABLE NCST TO EXPAND ITS REPUTABLE AND INFLUENTIAL HIGH RISK INTERVENTIONIST (HRI) PROGRAM TO PREVENT AND REDUCE VIOLENCE IN ADDITIONAL COMMUNITIES IN NEWARK. THE HRI PROGRAM PROVIDES VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION AND INTERVENTION EFFORTS BY ENGAGING DIRECTLY WITH BOTH VICTIMS AND PERPETRATORS, PREVENTING RETALIATORY ACTIONS AND CONNECTING RESIDENTS WITH RESOURCES. THE EXPANDED PROGRAM WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING PRIMARY ELEMENTS:  EXPANSION OF THEIR HRI TEAM BY HIRING EIGHT (8) ADDITIONAL STAFF, INCLUDING HIRING AND TRAINING RESIDENTS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED AND/OR FORMER GANG AFFILIATED  CONTINUED COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH CVIPI TEAM MEMBERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS HOSTING PUBLIC SAFETY ROUNDTABLES (PSRT), AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEETINGS CASE MANAGEMENT FOR HIGH RISK INDIVIDUALS BASED ON INDIVIDUALIZED MENTORSHIP PLANS CONDUCTING A SAMPLE RESEARCH STUDY OF HRI PARTICIPANTS, TRACKING FROM ENROLLMENT, PARTICIPATION, FOLLOW-UP AND EXIT  ONGOING DOCUMENTATION OF CVIPI STRATEGY CONDUCTING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT INFORMED BY COMMUNITY INPUT DEVELOPING A NEWARK-WIDE VIOLENCE REDUCTION STRATEGIC PLAN LED BY CVIPI TEAM AND INFORMED BY COMMUNITY INPUT PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAM EVALUATION DETERMINED BY BJA  THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE GRANT PERIOD INCLUDE: 120 INTERVENTIONS; NEEDS ASSESSMENT; RESEARCH STUDY PUBLICATION; DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF A VIOLENCE REDUCTION STRATEGIC PLAN; AND A PROGRAM EVALUATION. THE TARGET POPULATION AND INTENDED BENEFICIARIES ARE INDIVIDUALS KNOWN TO BE AT GREATEST RISK OF BEING VIOLENCE-INVOLVED: KNOWN OFFENDERS, INCLUDING CURRENT OR FORMER GANG MEMBERS, THOSE WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN DISRUPTIVE.  NCST IS SEEKING PRIORITY CONSIDERATION FOR AREAS 1A (DOCUMENTATION FOUND IN NARRATIVE, PAGE 11) AND 3 (DOCUMENTATION OF OUR MULTIDISCIPLINARY PARTNERSHIPS IS FOUND THROUGHOUT NARRATIVE AND IN CVIPI TEAM DOCUMENT) AND IS EAGER TO PARTICIPATE IN EVALUATION ACTIVITIES.

THE NEWARK COMMUNITY STREET TEAM SCHOOL CASE MANAGEMENT (SCM) PROGRAM ADDRESSES SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES FACED BY SCHOOL-AGED YOUTH IN NEWARK'S SOUTH AND WEST WARDS. THESE AREAS EXPERIENCE HIGH LEVELS OF VIOLENCE AND ABSENTEEISM, IMPACTING STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, AND OVERALL SAFETY. THE SCM INITIATIVE WILL ENHANCE SCHOOL SAFETY, IMPROVE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES, AND FOSTER A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS. TARGETING HIGH-RISK SCHOOLS, SCM SEEKS TO REDUCE VIOLENT INCIDENTS, SUPPORT HIGH-RISK YOUTH AND FAMILIES WITH WRAP-AROUND SERVICES, AND INCREASE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WHILE IMPROVING THE SCHOOL SAFETY CLIMATE. CASE MANAGERS WILL PROVIDE INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT, DEVELOPING PERSONALIZED SUPPORT PLANS FOR STUDENTS THAT INCLUDE REGULAR CHECK-INS, GOAL-SETTING, AND CONNECTING THEM TO RESOURCES LIKE TUTORING AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. THE PROGRAM EMPHASIZES A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH INVOLVING SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND FAMILIES, WITH BI-WEEKLY MEETINGS TO ASSESS PROGRESS AND ADJUST STRATEGIES. THIS PROGRAM WILL SERVE STUDENTS (AND THEIR FAMILIES) WHO ATTEND FIVE SCHOOLS IN THE SOUTH AND WEST WARDS OF NEWARK. SCHOOL SELECTION WILL BE BASED ON DATA EVALUATIONS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIONS, AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK TO ADDRESS HIGH LEVELS OF VIOLENCE, TRUANCY, AND LOW ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION EFFORTS, ALL OF NEWARK COMMUNITY STREET TEAM'S OUTREACH WORKERS ARE TRAINED IN DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION. THROUGH THE INCORPORATION OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK SESSIONS AND PUBLIC SAFETY ROUNDTABLES, THIS SCM INITIATIVE REMAINS RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS. THE NEWARK COMMUNITY STREET TEAM'S CASE MANAGERS BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUTH AND FAMILIES IN HIGH-RISK AREAS, PROVIDING IMMEDIATE SUPPORT DURING INCIDENTS AND CONNECTING INDIVIDUALS TO NECESSARY SERVICES. BY ADDRESSING EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES AND IMPLEMENTING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE OUTREACH, NEWARK COMMUNITY STREET TEAM 'S SCM AIMS TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND REMOVE BARRIERS TO SERVICES FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES IN NEWARK. SCM'S COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT AND WRAP-AROUND SERVICES AIM TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE, REDUCE ABSENTEEISM, AND IMPROVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. BY LEVERAGING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND ADDRESSING THE MULTIFACETED NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND FAMILIES, THE SCM PROGRAM SEEKS TO CREATE A SAFER, MORE SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING AND PERSONAL GROWTH.

THE NEWARK COMMUNITY STREET TEAM (NCST) SAFE PASSAGE PROGRAM (SPP) IS A COMPREHENSIVE INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS TRAVELING TO AND FROM SCHOOL IN NEWARKS SOUTH AND WEST WARDS, WHERE HIGH LEVELS OF VIOLENCE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, AND OVERALL SAFETY. ESTABLISHED IN 2015, NCST COLLABORATES WITH LOCAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIONS, THE BRICK EDUCATION NETWORK (BRICK), LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPLEMENT SPP. THE PROGRAM DEPLOYS TRAINED SAFE PASSAGE OUTREACH WORKERS (OW) ALONG DESIGNATED ROUTES TO PROVIDE A VISIBLE AND SUPPORTIVE PRESENCE THAT DETERS VIOLENCE AND ASSISTS STUDENTS. OWS ARE POSITIONED AT KEY ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS OF SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS AT BUS STOPS, INTERSECTIONS, AND SHOPS NEAR SCHOOLS, TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES, BUILD TRUST, AND MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION. BY INTERVENING AND DE-ESCALATING CONFLICTS, OWS HELP ENSURE STUDENTS ARRIVE AT SCHOOL AND RETURN HOME SAFELY. ADDITIONALLY, SOME SAFE PASSAGE STAFF WILL SERVE AS PARENT LIAISON SENTINELS, FOCUSING ON BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH PARENTS DURING DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP TIMES. PARENT LIAISONS WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH PARENTS TO BETTER SERVE THE NEEDS OF BOTH STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY ROUNDTABLE. THIS NEW SPP INITIATIVE ADDRESSES INTERPERSONAL CONFLICTS OUTSIDE SCHOOL PREMISES, PARTICULARLY DURING THE HOURS WHEN STUDENTS TRAVEL TO AND FROM SCHOOL, CREATING A SECURE ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES REGULAR ATTENDANCE. SPPS PRIMARY GOALS ARE TO ENHANCE SAFETY FOR STUDENTS TRAVELING TO AND FROM SCHOOL AND STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND THE COMMUNITY. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO ACHIEVE A 20% REDUCTION IN INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE ALONG DESIGNATED ROUTES, TO FOSTER TRUST WITH STUDENTS AND PARENTS, AND TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN MONTHLY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS. THIS INITIATIVE SERVES NEWARK'S SOUTH AND WEST WARDS AND PARTNERS WITH THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS WEEQUAHIC HIGH SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL, MALCOLM X SHABAZZ HIGH SCHOOL, GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER ELEMENTARY, BELMONT RUNYON ELEMENTARY, KIPP NCA CHARTER SCHOOL, AND KIPP LAB SCHOOL. THESE SCHOOLS WERE SELECTED BASED ON DATA FROM THE NEWARK PUBLIC SAFETY COLLABORATIVE AND FEEDBACK FROM SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS INDICATING HIGH LEVELS OF VIOLENCE. BY DEPLOYING OWS REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY'S DEMOGRAPHICS, SPP ENSURES CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND INCLUSIVE INTERVENTIONS, IMPROVING VICTIM SERVICES, JUSTICE RESPONSES, PREVENTION INITIATIVES, AND REENTRY SERVICES. BY IMPLEMENTING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE OUTREACH, NCST AIMS TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND REMOVE BARRIERS TO SERVICES FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES IN NEWARK AND IS APPLYING FOR CATEGORY 1A AND 1B PRIORITY FUNDING.

APPLICANT NEWARK COMMUNITY STREET TEAM (NCST) IS NEWARK, NJ’S COMMUNITY-BASED VIOLENCE REDUCTION INITIATIVE. NCST IS SERVING AS LEAD PARTNER FOR THIS APPLICATION, WITH SCHOOL PARTNER NEWARK OPPORTUNITY YOUTH NETWORK (NOYN), A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR OPPORTUNITY YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ACROSS NEW JERSEY. NOYN HAS SERVED THOUSANDS OF OPPORTUNITY YOUTH ACROSS THE CITY AND STATE AND CURRENTLY SERVES APPROXIMATELY 300 YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 16-24 THROUGH DIRECT PROGRAMING AND/OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. AS AN ORGANIZATION, NOYN SEES YOUNG PEOPLE AS THE GREATEST UNTAPPED RESOURCE AND BELIEVES IN THEIR ABILITY TO TRANSCEND CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THEMSELVES, THEIR FAMILIES, AND OUR COMMUNITY. FUNDS AWARDED UNDER THIS OPPORTUNITY WILL ALLOW NCST TO HIRE AND DEPLOY A TEAM OF TRAINING AND INTERVENTIONIST NAVIGATORS (TIN) IN NOYN’S CHARTER SCHOOL ECOSYSTEM TO SERVE OPPORTUNITY YOUTH AGES 16-24 AS WELL AS SCHOOL STAFF AT LEAD. SCHOOL SERVICES PROVIDED BY TINS AND PROJECT STAFF HIRED UNDER THIS GRANT WILL INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING, SCHOOL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT PLANNING AS WELL AS ACTIVITIES RELATED TO SCHOOL CLIMATE SAFETY AND IMPROVEMENT, AND IN-DEPTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION EXPOSURE. WE WILL ENGAGE IN A THREE-MONTH PLANNING PERIOD TO FINALIZE DETAILS, SEEK ANY NECESSARY TTA AND SET OUT THIS PROGRAM WITH STUDENTS AND STAFF. WE WILL USE THE DESIGNATED PLANNING PERIOD TO REVIEW OUR FRAME TO INCLUDE ANY THEN-CURRENT CHANGES OR INDICATORS, EITHER WITHIN NCST, NOYN OR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, AS WELL AS ASSESS ANY NEED FOR TTA. TINS WILL IDENTIFY THE RISK USING AN ASSESSMENT TOOL, CREATE A SAFETY PLAN, REFER STUDENTS TO THE TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTER IF NEEDED AND WORK ON KNOWN SUPPORTS SUCH AS PEER SUPPORT TRAINING, WHERE THEY CAN ASSIGN A TRAINED PEER SUPPORT STUDENT TO ASSIST WITH CREATING A SENSE OF SAFETY FOR THE STUDENTS. NCST HAS SUPPORT FROM OUR SCHOOL PARTNER NOYN AND OUR COMMUNITY RELATED TO THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF THIS PROJECT. THE TIN ASPECT OF OUR PROGRAM IS UNIQUELY DESIGNED AND POSITIONED TO ADAPT TO THE NEEDS OF THE NOYN COMMUNITY. BUILDING ON THE EFFORTS OF NOYN SCHOOL SAFETY PROCESSES, NCST WILL SUPPORT THEIR OVERALL SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN/STRATEGY. NCST WILL ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL STATE AND LOCAL REGULATIONS AND WILL USE THESE REGULATIONS TO GUIDE THE PLANNING PROCESS.

CBCR PROGRAM

THE NEWARK COMMUNITY STREET TEAM (NCST) WAS FOUNDED BY MAYOR RAS J. BARAKA AS NEWARK’S COMMUNITY-BASED VIOLENCE REDUCTION STRATEGY. NCST DRAWS UPON AN EVIDENCE-BASED, TRAUMA INFORMED APPROACH TO VIOLENCE REDUCTION. NCST HIRES, TRAINS AND DEPLOYS OUTREACH WORKERS AND HIGH RISK INTERVENTIONISTS IN THE SOUTH AND WEST WARDS OF NEWARK AND OPERATES NEWARK’S TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTER. FUNDING RECEIVED UNDER OPPORTUNITY WILL SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING: EXPANSION OF NCST’S CURRENT HIGH RISK INTERVENTION (HRI) TEAM BY 2 ADDITIONAL HIGH RISK INTERVENTIONISTS, AS WELL AS A PROJECT DIRECTOR AND A PROJECT SUPERVISOR. IT WILL ALSO ALLOW US TO IMPROVE OUR TOLL-FREE HOTLINE RESPONSE TO REPORT NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES TO THE HRI TEAM. COORDINATION OF JOINT TRAININGS WITH NCST AND NPD ON PROTOCOLS AND OPERATING PROCEDURES. CONTINUED COORDINATION WITH KEY PARTNERS WORKING TOWARDS IMPROVED PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE SOUTH WARD.  INCREASED ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. AS NCST EXPANDS, WE REQUIRE AN EXPANSION OF OUR PROGRAMMATIC ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. COORDINATION WITH UCLA ON A COMPREHENSIVE, QUALITATIVE RESEARCH EFFORT AROUND THE HRI PROGRAM CULMINATING IN A DOCUMENTARY NARRATIVE.