HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/06/2013 09 Quarterly Gang Initiative ReportBUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No.
For Meeting of: 8/6/2013
ITEM TITLE: Quarterly Gang Free Initiative Report
SUBMITTED BY: Steve Magallan - Magallan Consultancy
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
See attached report
Resolution:
Ordinance:
Other (Specify): Quarterly report
Contract:
Contract Term:
Start Date:
End Date:
Item Budgeted:
Amount:
Funding Source /Fiscal
Impact:
Strategic Priority:
Insurance Required? No
Mail to:
Phone:
APPROVED FOR
SUBMITTAL: City Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Name: Description:
❑ Yakima GFI Quarterly Report June 2013.docx GFI Quarterly Report June 2013
❑ GFI Final Brochures.odf GFI Brochure
-- Revised —
Yakima Gang Free Initiative (GFI) Implementation
Quarterly Report for the period ending June 30, 2013
Introduction
The 2nd quarter of GFI implementation activities were centered on the identification and
engagement of children and youth at varying degrees of risk. These activities are referred to as
Outreach with both targeted (efforts directed at one youth identified as "at- risk" and referred for
services) and general methods (efforts reaching groups of high risk youth using gang awareness
seminars to disseminate program information). Additionally, coordination efforts have focused
on ensuring the multi- agency service model is well equipped to deliver prevention and
intervention services to the sudden influx of special needs youth. Finally, the GFI Advisory
Group has been working on multimedia marketing tools for the initiative including a website,
brochures, and a call center.
The Advisory Group committees continue to meet regularly to address the priorities established
in the first quarter. The following is a synopsis of the 2nd quarter committee work:
1) Planning and Development. The Committee has identified a second area in which to
expand the Youth Development Center. This area is identified as "Y4" by the Yakima
Police Department; it has the 2nd highest gang crime in the City of Yakima. The area
starts at North Front Street, runs west to North 7th Avenue, and is north of West Lincoln
Avenue (estimated area of Y4). Possible facilities within this area have been identified
and meetings and tours will be conducted in July 2013 to discuss possible future
partnerships.
2) Implementation. The Committee has officially been renamed "Partnership Development
Committee" its focus is addressing network collaboration and service delivery issues as
they arise. Several issues have already surfaced in this quarter including referral follow -
up and case management duties.
3) Marketing and Community Education. A great deal of activity has taken place within
this Committee over the past quarter including the finalization of the GFI website, the
production of informational brochures, the creation of a traveling display to showcase the
GFI at the various community events, and hosting the first Youth & Family Development
Center open house at the YPAL Miller Park facility. The website includes an outreach
request form allowing visitors to request targeted outreach anonymously. The marketing
materials were produced in both Spanish and English. GFI also received its first ever
corporate sponsor. Coca -Cola of Yakima donated a street banner advertising the GFI
Open House which hosted more than 100 neighborhood residents on June 25m. Media
coverage was also complete with all television and print media outlets represented and
the Spanish language radio station KDNA.
Finally, the implementation phase of the Gang Free Initiative is now referred to as the Gang Free
Project of Yakima (GFP). The addition of this new moniker serves to more accurately represent
the programmatic functions of the Gang Free Initiative.
2013 Performance Measures YTD
Advisory Group Meetings (occurring bi- monthly) 3
AG Membership Retention Rate 15
AG Participation Rate 77%
AG Attendance Rate 58%
AG Member Satisfaction
General Outreach
General Outreach
Targeted Outreach
Completed WARNS
Completed Referrals
Completed INA's
(gang awareness seminars)
Completed Individual Treatment Plans
Completed Behavioral Interventions
Completed Family Interventions
Parental Notifications
Graffiti Violations
Citations for Weapons Violations
Gang Units
Sustainable resources
Collaborative Grant Activities
Partner Network Activities
Partner Investment
Program Summary
(homeless youth grant)
GFI Partnerships
YPAL — Outreach, Screening & Referral, Life Skills
YMCA — ASPIRE Mentoring
No Data
0
79
41
41
0
0
0
0
No Data
No Data
No Data
1 (1 pending)
$140,000
4
1
$479,500
UG Madison House — Academic Support (Tutoring)
People for People — Gang Free Yakima Connects (211 Call Center)
Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health — Multisystemic Therapy
(pending approval)
In Development — Family Support Services
GFI Program Participants
79 youth outreach requests were screened and formally referred via schools, probation, and the
community.
• 45 of those requests have been active /referred into the program
41 out of the 45 youth referred youth have had their initial WARNS survey completed; however,
45 families have signed consent forms to enroll youth into the program.
The four youth who have not completed the WARNS are either on runaway status, never at
home /school, and /or families are out of town currently.
• 13 families have refused services
Reasons: already getting services similar to what our service providers offer; upset/frustrated that
the school referred them for services; do not want their kids going to these services due to prior
negative experience /history; and uncooperative parents who don't want assistance.
• 15 youth/families - we have been unable to contact
Barrier- One school did not have updated contact information for approximately 22 -28 youth
who are sporadic with their attendance and families that do not report that they moved and /or
have new phone numbers. This made a lot of un- needed footwork trying to connect with
families if we do not have the correct information. With these youths, we conducted 10 -12 visits
that consisted of phone calls, home visits, and school visits (school visits to see if they have
updated information and /or to meet with the child to get contact information however, the
majority of these students were absent periodically). Since most of our referrals were school
based, these numbers consisted of youth who have moved out of the district/area; withdrawn for
non - attendance; or who have moved out of home but never updated any information with school
officials, which we confirmed at school.
• 6 youth are waitlisted
Had some contact with either youth or family member who seemed interested in the program
waiting to get formal parent contact. During this time most families are working agricultural jobs
and do not get home until late in the day and do not have time to meet for appointments.
Consent forms—waiting for parent to sign consent forms. This has been hard to obtain since
families have not been home throughout the day especially since school is out.
WARNS reports
Pre - WARNS: 41 WARNS were conducted
Post - WARNS: 8 out of the 12 that were eligible for post WARNS were conducted (4 of those
have not been conducted because multiple home visits /phone calls have not been successful)
Service provider referrals – youth who are eligible to start services
YMCA – 34
YPAL – 37
Madison House – 38
YDT – 23
Highlights
During April/May, 24 youth on the waitlist were contacted and were enrolled in the program
within two weeks and are starting to receive services this month. Only six youth remain on the
waitlist due to parents work schedules but want services. The community and other service
providers (e.g. DSHS) are starting to request services for some youth that they work with.
• Schools are excited with the program and we are getting great response from other area
schools that would like to start utilizing this program in the fall.
• Parents who have additional siblings in the household would also like assistance for their
other children and /or for other people they know who may be in need of a program like this.
• 1/3 of the juveniles contacted are interested and willing to try the program and services that
we provide.
• The community and other service providers (i.e. DSHS) are starting to request services for
some youth that they work with.
• During April/May, the 24- waitlisted clients were finally contacted and enrolled in the
program within two weeks.
Barriers
Unmotivated youth and /or parents getting youth to services has been a challenge since there is no
incentive or anything holding them accountable. Initially, they were excited to get services;
however, there has been minimal contact between the youth and the services. A possible
solution is to have an open house at the services to encourage families to utilize their services
and send out letters to families to let them know they have already been referred and are able to
use these services accordingly. A few kids were kicked out of a couple of programs and cannot
come back until the next school year which put a deterrent on helping these youth gain some
proactive skills. Another possible solution would be to talk with service providers and ask them
to look at their protocol since these youth need to gain pro - social skills in order to attain
attendance and to reach the youth in negative positive way. Service providers can initially have
orientation and expectations for youth before services are attained.
Parents are reluctant to utilize services due to transportation issues even though they live in
the vicinity of the programs
A few kids were kicked out of a couple of programs and cannot come back until the next
school year which put a deterrent on helping this youth gain some proactive skills.
Waitlisted youth for mentors —this is one of the largest barriers we have been dealing with
throughout this year. Youth are willing to participate in one -on -one mentoring but we do not
have available mentors to refer them to. Pro - social interaction /activities with youth seem
successful and I would foresee in the future if youth were paired up with a mentor they
would become more successful in their endeavors since there isn't a positive stable role
model in their life consistently.
Service providers were not in place in the beginning which was hard for the outreach workers
who were relaying information to parents /youth that services would be available soon. It
took longer than planned.
Unmotivated youth and /or parents – it is difficult to get youth to services since there is no
incentive and nothing holding them accountable. That made it hard to engage youth in
services we felt would be of benefit to them.
GFI Coordination Activities
GFI Open House — June 25, 2013
GFI Development Activities
National Community Based Violence Prevention (Pending)
Gang Awareness Training has been provided to People for People -211. The training covered
gang introduction, why youth turn to the gang life style, and signs that should concern parents.
The training was well received and each participate submitted a satisfaction survey. The training
was held on June 7, 2013 from 9 -11:30 a.m.
Partner Services
The following is a detailed report of the activities of each partner agency over the past quarter.
IE
Beginning April 1, the outreach worker, Manuel Martinez, had received nearly all the necessary
training and attended numerous meetings with Yakima Courts to be geared up to work with
Bridgett Wilson on numerous outreach activities. Manual Martinez and Bridgett have forged a
good relationship of trust, integrity, and open communication as well as a passion to serve the
highest risk kids in our community.
YPAL's executive director met with Sara Day, Vice Principal at Washington Middle School to
describe the GFI strategies utilizing GRIP processes. Day showed keen interest for her students,
and invited YPD School Resource Officer, Claudia Padilla to join us. Within 2 weeks the staff at
Washington had met and created an initial list of kids who were in gangs, thinking about being in
gangs, having truancy issues, or behavior issues which concerned them. The initial list included
72 youth names and contact information. The outreach workers then trained the school leaders in
use of the GRIP Request for Service form and process.
*Learning: It would have been better to meet with all Washington staff who work with kids that
are of concern and have the outreach worker contact them. We had a number of extra meetings
and clarification points during this first "Beta" demonstration. Additionally, it took several days
for the outreach request for services form to be completed, whereas that process will be
streamlined in the future.
The outreach workers then worked through the request for services information in an attempt to
contact each youth and their family. This proved to be a very difficult process in many cases.
The school did not have a way to ensure that the phone number and /or addresses were correct
from enrollment, due to the mobile manner in which some of these youth are raised. If a youth
was contacted, it often required a second contact to gain support from one or more parents,
sometime requiring a second parent meeting in cases of joint custody, and as long as three weeks
to obtain parent signatures for the next steps. We also provided a well- educated translator who
knows many of the Northeast Yakima families. The translator volunteered to help in those
instances where parents needed a second language available.
*Learning: We now know that we can streamline this process by inviting the youth and their
families to a meeting at the YPAL Center. They will come in for a meeting, at which time
permission will be granted in writing Families will be able to meet outreach workers and tour the
Center. This facilitates a greater number of meetings per day, and is organized around schedules
rather than outreach workers driving from appointment to appointment. While this does not work
in 100% of the requests, we have found a majority of our families have liked this approach, and
as we move forward we will continue to test this process.
We also plan to test a process that will ensure a faster turnaround time for contacting youth and
families from the time that we receive a request for services. We will block out times each
morning to make telephone calls to those requests that include a phone number. This will be an
introduction only, but an important step to show that we take the request seriously and that we
desire to help. At that time an appointment will be secured, whether it be evening or weekend or
at the PAL Center. Thus, we will be able to have outreach workers contacting more people, and
traveling in two's will not be required since they are working out of the PAL center. We will
measure the improvement in response time, as well as the speed with which we desire parental
permission to proceed.
*Learning: Outreach workers continued to work as a team, thus providing further training, and
opportunity for "thinking out of the box" by court outreach workers. A major change for Ms.
Wilson has been to provide outreach and linking, rather than case management. This also took
some time to work through, practice, and to help everyone realize that we could reach many
more people with the partners doing the case management rather than at the point of outreach.
People drawn to outreach work have a passion for these youth, and must be reassured that there
are great programs and people waiting to take on the guidance path needed for these very high -
risk kids.
Success Factor: With eleven weeks of these services now in implementation stage, the outreach
workers have successfully contacted 48 youth and families. Each of these children were referred
to the YMCA for mentoring, and the Madison House for tutoring. As of today, the referrals have
not been served because of lack of volunteers. All families have now been contacted by YPAL
for placement into positive life skills classes.
*Learning: In order to keep the turnaround time as fast as possible for kids to access resources,
the outreach workers are now offering the paper form of WARNS to the youth at the time the
initial meeting is held with parents. Once the parental signature for permission is acquired, youth
are offered the test in a private area. We have found this to work very well, and have eliminated
a second appointment for both families and outreach workers. It also creates and assures a sense
of urgency that requests be met in the most efficient and effective way possible.
During the process of meeting with the families, parents will often times ask if there is help for
them on being better parents. The GFI partners are looking at community resources, and YPAL
is considering starting their Parent Club sooner than was scheduled for the organization. This
could facilitate a number of resources coming directly to parents at the Center rather than parents
traveling to multiple sites for services.
The referral process to the YMCA and Madison House seem to be the most unclear process.
There was not a clear definition of expectations that these service partners would take on the role
of "case management" for these youth as were referred to mentoring and /or tutoring assistance.
In addition, each of these partners found it difficult to locate volunteers who would be
comfortable and felt equipped to mentor or tutor these high risk youth. Thus, our outreach
workers were very concerned about their own credibility with the youth and families they had
contacted.
*Learning: Outreach workers, passionate about helping these kids, are on the front line, eye -to-
eye with kids and families. In order to encourage participation in these programs, they must be
reassured that services will truly be available. Outreach workers must have the trust and be
credible to these families, or they may lose their ability to be effective. Law enforcement officers
must also see these outreach efforts as being met with "meat and potatoes" services.
LIFE SKILLS CLASSES
The classes provided by YPAL are meant to provide several things.
* A 12 -week consistent mentor who can encourage youth to think about what success could look
like in their future and to learn to think about situations in order to respond rather to be in a
reactionary mode. In addition, the expected outcomes will be improved self - awareness,
communication, working with others, qualities of leadership, social issues, decision making, and
problem solving.
Our Beta Class was scheduled at Washington Middle School at 3:15 p.m. three days per week for
four weeks. We had 11 referrals from our outreach efforts. All 11 were sent letters (to parents).
We experienced difficulty in getting kids to the classes. Of the original 11, only four were able to
commit. The reason that occurred was because the children were expelled through the end of the
school year, and could not attend our class at Washington. All of them have been rescheduled for
our summer sessions at YPAL.
We have one youth who completed all 12 sessions to date. We have now contacted 32 youth
from outreach services to attend our summer sessions. The sessions will be held at YPAL, using
guest speakers, facilitated by Gloria Garcia. We will offer refreshments, a door prize, and a gift
membership to YPAL if all 12 classes are completed. We were thinking a YMCA membership
would be offered, but we are not sure if that will be offered at this time.
We also have seven college interns who will be assisting with class dynamics as support to
Ms. Garcia. In order to make the curriculum work for the classes we held, we adjusted lesson
plans and modified the curriculum activities so that they would work without the appropriate
number of attendees.
We are already receiving calls for the next series of classes, and we are anticipating our changes
and improvements will ensure a successful summer session.
Madison House
Since my last meeting with Tina Wilson, on May 14, to discuss the partnership with GFI and the
Madison House, I have received (in total, to date) referral forms from Bridget. Many of them
were dated on the day received. Bridget has brought five students through the Madison House on
a tour to meet staff and to see the facility, and of those five, only one chose to begin the program.
He /She has been a part of the Madison House since he /she was brought to us through GFI.
He /She has been identified as a "tough kid" though the staff and students here would characterize
him /her otherwise. Since beginning our tutoring program, first because "I was forced" and then
later seeing that when an emphasis is placed on studying and doing/turning in homework, grades
improve. Now, he /she would say that he /she is proud of himself /herself. After some light
prompting, he /she chose to go shopping with a staff member to purchase clothing that did not
associate him /her with his /her chosen gang color. Since this shopping trip, he /she has not worn
red or made jokes about his /her affiliation with the local Northenos. His/Her attitude has
improved since he /she arrived here, and where he /she once had a persona that communicated,
"DON'T talk to me." He /she is now very open, lighthearted, and likes a good joke.
Approximately three weeks ago, during the night, we were visited by a tagging crew who had a
field day on our property, creating a serious mess. By this time, the staff at Madison House had
done enough cleaning. The individual volunteered after school to clean it, and even suggested
that we call the cops to let them know. We told him /her that we had, but the significance was that
he /she had made the suggestion. Later that week, Yakima Police Officers came to photograph
the graffiti and one of them recognized the individual. The officer commented to our Program
Director that he hadn't seen the individual at the park (where apparently he /she had been hanging
out and causing trouble) for a few months. He also stated that the individual looked "happy,"
which was unusual, but also, good to see.
We may not be serving hundreds of kids, as they are not coming in droves as Bridget originally
promised (in my first report). While we may not be changing everyone, it appears that we have
definitely changed one... and right now, that is progress!
People for People 211
Objective 1: Develop screening tool and protocols to facilitate a brief assessment of the youth's
current status to determine immediate /intermediate individual and family priorities.
Deliverable(s): GFI Screening Tool
Status — Complete: GC 2 -1 -1 will use the "Grip Outreach Request" form to make the appropriate
referral to GFI partner agencies. We have created an electronic version of the form that can be
easily sent directly to our partners. Our Gang Free Yakima Connections Policies & Procedures
manual provides a flow chart with screen shots for staff to navigate through the initial brief
program eligibility assessment to determine if a program referral (completion of the GRIP form)
is appropriate.
Objective 2: Establish call center screening and referral service capacity to field calls during
peak and off peak hours.
Deliverable(s): Gang Free Yakima Connections Call Center.
Status — Complete: We have extended Call Center hours from 8am -5pm to 8am -6pm.
Individuals that call in to receive GFI assistance will be asked 1. If they are a resident in the City
of Yakima, 2. If the person of concern is a youth, and 3. If they are concerned the youth is
involved or at -risk of becoming involved in gangs. If they answer "yes" to the 3 initial questions,
a GRIP Outreach Request form will be sent to Bridgette Wilson to follow -up. GC 2 -1 -1 will
follow -up, via phone, with each caller approximately one week after the initial referral is made.
Objective 3: Develop policies and procedures for making referrals.
Deliverable(s): GFI Call Center Policies & Procedures Manual
Status — Draft Complete: We submitted our first draft version of the Gang Free Yakima
Connections Policy & Procedure manual to Magallan Consultancy on April 26, 2013. We
incorporated the new GFI information and requirements into our existing AIRS accreditation
Standards and GC 2 -1 -1 Policy & Procedure manual. The Policy & Procedure manual was
presented to the GFI Advisory Group on June 6, 2013 and will be presented to the Yakima City
Council on July 16, 2013.
YMCA
Report not submitted
Multisystemic Therapy
The contract with Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health has been submitted for
Council approval. The contract will provide facilitation services over the GFP Youth
Development Team (providing collaborative case management over highest risk youth) and
mental health treatment services for high risk, gang involved youth.
GFI Development Activities
The following are descriptions of the development activities undertaken over the past four
months.
Washington Criminal Street Gangs
The Yakima GFI is currently receiving funding from the state of Washington CSG program.
Continued funding has been included in the 2013 state budget and we are awaiting information
on the continuation process.
AmeriCorps
The City of Yakima was invited to submit an application under the AmeriCorps National
Governor's & Mayor's Initiative grant program. We were specifically selected based on the
work of the GFI and were the only community in the state of Washington invited to participate.
If successful at the national competition, the project would provide 20 full time AmeriCorps
volunteers to expand GFI services into the other targeted communities along with $250,000 in
federal funding to support the initiative. Funding announcements are expected in June.
Community Based Violence Prevention
The federal Community Based Violence Prevention project will be resubmitted in partnership
with the Yakima County Juvenile Court. The project is due April 22" d and, if successful, will
provide up to $750,000 to the City of Yakima GFI expansion over the next three years. Funding
announcements are expected in August.
GFI Next Steps
Continuing into the 3rd quarter of 2013, and for the remainder of this year, the GFI Advisory
Group will focus on expanding core services into the North Central neighborhood. The group
will also be working to identify additional service partnerships to consider with emphasis on
truancy prevention and positive youth development programming.
The Coordinator will also focus efforts on promoting services through PSA's and, if possible,
securing corporate sponsorships.
Finally, the Coordinator is working with the Washington State Department of Commerce
Research Services to develop the evaluation protocols. This partnership may lead to j oint
development efforts leading toward federal and state agency funding for program expansion.
Formal evaluation is scheduled to begin as early as the 4th quarter of 2013.
Submitted on July 10, 2013
by Steve Magallan
Gang Free
Initiative
*A{ In partnership with:
>> Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health
>> Madison House >> YMCA
>> People for People - 211 o YPAL
0
rtheast Youth & Family Development Center
located at Yakima Police Activities League (YPAL)
602 N. 4th Street Yakima, Washington 98901
For more information, visit..
C ity0f Yakim aGang Free In it i at i ve.TownSquare I nteractive.c orn
call 509-575-6180
Youth
Development
�Te aim
City of Yakima
Gang Free Project
1'
The Yakima Gang Free Project (GFP) incorporates a network
of evidence based prevention and intervention services
targeting gang- involved youth, and those at risk of gang
involvement and victimization.
The Youth Development Team (YDT)
is a major component of the Yakima
Gang Free Project. The purpose
of the YDT is to manage the
needs of gang involved youth
and those at high risk for gang
involvement and victimization.
,> Facilitate collaborative case management
planning meetings
,> Construct individualized service plans
>> Engage youth in direct intervention services to
address their specific needs
,> Work with outreach workers and partners to
remove barriers to accessing services
» Assist gang members in transitioning out of the
gang lifestyle
>> Improve the effectiveness of partner agencies
>> Facilitate the exchange of information through
routine reporting
Youth and Family Development Center
The Youth and Family Development Center is a centralized
service location for the Yakima Gang Free Project. The center
also functions as a resource center where youth, parents and
concerned citizens can obtain information on gang prevention,
intervention and suppression.
Youth and I
Ramily
pe�relopment
Center Actiritiess
» Positive Youth Developmen-
Programming (e.g., Life Skills, Academic
Enrichment, Career /Employment, and Recreation)
» Information Dissemination
>> Outreach
>> Family Resource Services
>> Parent Development
>, Professional Development & Training
These services are provided in part by the City of Yakima and
the State of Washington.
Gang Free Project participation
is available at no cost.
Rh - 1
yoo u t h n� d FOAMP
Project of t - - �
Developmean,
t Center
Gang Free
Initiative
In partnership with.
>> Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health
Madison House >> YMCA
>> People for People - 211 >> YPAL
Northeast Youth & Family Development Center
located at Yakima Police Activities League (YPAL)
602 N. 4th Street Yakima, Washington 98901
For more information, visit:
CityofYakimaGangFreelnitiative .TownSquarelnteractive.com
or call 509 - 575 -6180
milk
City of Yakima
Gang Free Project
The Youth and Family Development Center functions as
a hub for the community's anti -gang single point of access
for information and services related to gang suppression,
intervention and prevention.
Youth and Family Development
Centeoactivities t"Al ude•:
Positive Youth Development Programming
Life skills, academic enrichment,
career /employment, and recreation
Outreach
Gang awareness
Individualized screening and referral services
Family Resource Services
Single point of access for information and services
related to gang suppression, intervention and
prevention
Functional family therapy and family management
Parent Development
Improve applied family management skills, expand
single parent and nontraditional family support
networks
Professional Development & Training
Data sharing, joint planning, and partnership
development
Yakima Gang Free Project (GFP) services are made possible
and supported by partnerships with law enforcement,
probation, outreach, education and social services.
ON
Map- M "
Northeast Youth & Family Development Center
is located at Yakima Police Activities League (YPAL)
602 N. 4th Street, Yakima, Washington 98901
To participate in the Yakima GFP or to request outreach
for someone you feel is at risk of gang involvement,
contact your local school counselor or visit the website
at CityOfYakimaGangFreeinitiative .TownSquareinteractive.com
These services are provided in part by the City of Yakima and
the State of Washington.
Gang Free Project participation
is available at no cost.
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