New Haven Independent

Street Outreach Workers Program Launched

by Allan Appel | July 16, 2007 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

As part of a mayoral initiative kicked off Monday, “Picasso” and Icon Omowale (pictured, left to right) will soon be hitting the streets, reaching out to 200 kids who the city has pegged as the source of “municipal havoc.”

The men work for the Street Outreach Workers program, a key part of the mayor’s youth initiative that was kicked off at a press conference Monday.

Their charm and obvious delight in being part of this hopeful initiative should not conceal the fact that both have done serious prison time for drugs, robbery, and firearms violations, if not all three, and both have also turned these lives around. Having such street “cred” as well as being models of transformation are exactly what all members of the team share, and a sine-qua-non, according to all participants, for its success.

Born a year and a half ago in the aftermath of discussions about an ultimately abandoned notion of a curfew to curb teen violence, the program is being administered by the New Haven Family Alliance (NHFA), where six out of eight members of the team gathered with the mayor, Chief of Police Ortiz, Barbara Tinney, NHFA’s executive director, and numerous alders and city officials.

“A juxtaposition —” Mayor John DeStefano began his remarks, “We just graduated nearly one thousand great New Haven kids from high school. And they’re doing great. The 5 percent that are causing the municipal havoc are the kids the Street Outreach Workers Program is going to address.

“Let’s look at the facts. They’re primarily African-American, many are already in post-parole situations, and many are very young and have access to guns. In our city there are maybe 200 people like this, disconnected from resources, kids no one is talking to. These workers are going to reach them and bring them in touch with resources. We’re going to keep on doing all the other things that are important,” he went on , “increasing beat patrols, recruiting for more cops, and strengthening mid-level management in the NHPD. The measure of success of this program will be to identify and help those kids, in the five or ten per cent who are at risk of hurting themselves and others before it happens.”

The NHFA won the contract according to the mayor in response to an RFP, a public bidding process. Why the NHFA? Because in part, according to Barbara Tinney (shown here with Street Outreach Worker supervisor Tyrone Weston), whose 16-year-old organization is the home of the Male Involvement Network, a focal point for the Brotherhood Summit, and many other outreach efforts, “We already know many of these families.

“They have the same needs of the 95 percent the mayor referred to. Only they are profoundly disconnected. They are, alas, the ‘throwaway kids’ that no one is reaching or helping. But these workers are going to show them there are other choices they can make, and put them in touch with resources so they do.”

Having those resources available is apparently one of the reasons the budget of the program has grown from the $400,000, originally discussed in aldermanic negotiations, to $613,000. Bitsie Clark, the downtown alderwomen who assembled the $400,00 from private sources, which was an aldermanic imperative for passage — including United Way, Yale, New Alliance Foundation, Empower New Haven, The Greater New Haven Community Foundation, Casey Services, and others — was proud and delighted. The additional $200,000 was contributed by the state when the mayor and chief of police appealed to the governor.

The mayor said the fundraising was successful because everyone saw the need. Clark confirmed this. “In the aftermath of the curfew when I assembled potential donors, I didn’t ask them for money. I asked what they were doing for these kids the mayor has been talking about. On their own they all realized they were helping the 95 percent of New Haven kids with their programs. It dawned on them, especially Will Ginsberg at the foundation, that this outreach to the 5 percent was absolutely essential, but no one was doing it. Those kids were being left to the police and the city to cope with.”

Well, no longer. When this street outreach worker, 30-year-old New Haven native Anthony Ward (shown here seated with the mayor) goes out into Newhalville or Kensington-Dwight, he’s determined to be a friend, a model, a father figure, and connector to other services, whatever’s needed. “I’m going to be available twenty-four-seven, I’m going to be a hugger with everyone on my caseload. Believe me I know. I used to have the mindset of some of these kids. But I know that ‘you can’t beat the streets.’ You’ll up incarcerated, or in heaven. I’d rather take these kids to a show, to a ball game, get to know them, get them a job, show they can go to college.”

That just might be possible because of the additional funds. According to Che Dawson, whom the mayor referred a reporter to as to the disposition of the additional $200,000, “a lot is going to provide health benefits, which we had not figured in the beginning to be so costly. Then we wanted to make real jobs for the workers, so the hourly pay is up ten to fifteen per cent. Plus, when the workers connect with kids and offer child care or transportation or job training, or a chance to go to see a Broadway show or the Apollo, those resources will be there.”

According to Reverend Donald Morris (center), who is deeply involved already in the street tours of the Brotherhood Summit and other attempts to reach out to disconnected young men in the inner city, “an important part of the ‘cred’ is that when you say you are going to deliver something, you do so. If you say you will do it and you don’t, the trust is gone. And no amount of love or compassion is going to replace not doing what you say you’re going to do. What’s also lacking is communication, and these workers will do that for us. There will be a lot of difference. It might not happen over night, because the problem didn’t develop overnight, but there will be positive change. There already is.”

Morris knows a lot of the men, and the reaching out is often close to home. Omowale, the young street outreach worker at the top of the story, is his nephew, who is 24 years old and was jailed for six years, beginning when he was eighteen, for drugs and other offenses. “I was one of the worst kids you could know,” he told a reporter. His own life turned around when his best friend was shot in the head and killed. He’s committed now to reaching out, and changing lives. “This job is absolutely perfect for me.”

Another key part of the program’s concept is that troubled kids see the workers as distinct from city hall and from the police department. “How were they going to ensure that and also not have their worked undermined by the pervasive don’t-snitch attitude?” asked former alderwoman Shirley Ellis, now vice president of the board of the local chapter of the NAACP (shown here on left with Alderwoman Katrina Jones).

“All of us,” replied Tyrone Weston, the supervisor of the current six workers (two slots are still being filled), “have a past, and the kids on the street know it. They know we don’t run to the police. We don’t mind the police. We love the city and want to show the kids there is a different way to be, a different light to walk in That’s not how it works. Our job is to go out in the neighborhoods. And do that, and we will.”

In addition to Weston, Ward, and Omale, other street outreach workers’ cred includes that of Cousin Twiz, (not pictured), who has a local radio show and is well known in town. Picasso, like Ward, Weston, and others, have independently been involved in reaching out to kids. He believes current rap music has a terrible and under-appreciated negative influence on kids in the inner city. His cred is in part in his ongoing non profit business, CT Heavyweights, which brings kids to the studio and allows them to record songs, tunes with better values. He intends to build, in part, his caseload around this program.

The job will be intensive, according to Tinney and others, with rotating schedules beginning around 2:30 p.m. when school lets out. The workers will also be available to the young people they assemble on their caseloads, by neighborhood, 24/7. “That might be why we’re having a little trouble recruiting women,” she said. “We offered a position to a young Hispanic woman, but her husband said No. He was concerned it’s not a nine to five job.”

Identifying the at risk kids is starting immediately, as is training being provided by these young men from the Institute for the Study and Practice of Non-Violence, the Providence-based organization whose street outreach program there (and in Boston) is the model for New Haven’s. Ajay Benton, on the left, and Sal Monteiro have been workers in Providence’s program for five and two years respectively. In 2005 there were 22 homicides in Providence, in 2006 22, this year two.

Was the street outreach program in Providence really responsible for all that, and could we in New Haven look forward to similar results? “We play a big part,” said Benton. “We build relationships with kids who have no one taking care of them. They show up in court and no one’s there to advocate for them. So I do. They’re all crying out for help. I worked recently with a kid in a gang. We have gang issues lately in Providence. This kid was the shooter in the gang. Now he’s getting training in Job Corps, in something he’s excited about. It’s transformed him.”

“It’s very frustrating, but also very satisfying. Somebody commits a murder, it makes the newspaper. But five kids don’t, and it doesn’t make the paper. A girl who had been in real trouble turned her life around recently, and graduated from Hope High School. She sang a song at graduation and dedicated it to us. That was something.”

The Providence-based program began with three workers and now has thirteen.

Will New Haven’s team be as successful? The atmosphere at the launch was better than hopeful. Not only did Icon Omowale, the youngest, at 24, of the workers, think being a street outreach worker the perfect job for him (he used to run with “E.J.,” the seventeen-year-old currently in hiding from the police for the hit-and-run at Chatham and Maltby on Friday and says he always knew that he would sell a lot of drugs and maybe kill someone), but the entire street outreach worker team was, in Omowale’s view, perfect too. “This really is a dream team. Absolutely.”

According to Tinney, the workers are being assigned various neighborhoods and will be beginning to fan out and to develop their case loads immediately. Funding is in place thus far for one year. Anyone interested in learning more about the program or applying for available positions - in addition to streed cred you need a minimum of a high school diploma or GED - should call Street Outreach Worker supervisor Tyrone Weston at 786-5970, extension 316.

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Comments

Posted by: Soldiers of Good Fortune | July 16, 2007 9:44 PM

I would like to commend all who are reaching out to our youth.We greatly appreaciate all the effort to save our youth and give them the chance they deserve.these young men and women deserve an opportunity to a better future and learn that we need to take care of each other.No one can take better care of them than we can.I feel it is our responsibility to take care and interest in what's going on in thier lives.It is important they know we love them and care what happens to them in the streets.violent crimes happen so much we become use to it.With these positive men taking the time to show they care and they once were in a position just like some of the youth.These are the best type of people to be able to reach out with full understanding of their situations.We have had the opportunity to work alongside these great men during the brotherhood summits and it feels good when you see so many familiar faces coming together for a common reason and that is to save our youth from the cold streets.We love our youth and we will continue to work together until we all come together without any division .I want to thank brother Tyrone and the staff for a great job .Soldiers of Good Fortune & sister gwen sends their blessings and love

Posted by: WEBbloger 1 | July 16, 2007 10:45 PM

I am willing to take a wait and see attitude towards this program initative, I must admit however, I have serious reservations concerning the ability to pick out the targeted kids who are, or, will be, future offenders.
On the other hand, the NHPD could never have enforced the youth curfew. It would have been assinine to believe other wise.
If NHFA can successfully identify and remedy the problem teens through referrals and first hand knowledge, it will leave serious questions for the NHPD to justify 12 years and 35M/yr. plus budget of community policing, without identifying pre- crime violators.

Enough, don't be critical.

Let's Wait& See.

Posted by: Bitsie | July 17, 2007 6:51 AM

Many thanks to Allan Appel for a fine article about the Street Outreach Workers. I just want to be sure that the New Alliance Foundation and Empower New Haven are also recognized for their financial contribution to this excting program.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | July 17, 2007 9:24 AM

I am happy this program is up and running! YEAH! I think that is going to make a difference in the city as long as it is done right.
This is my only concern or question... when they are out there working with these children and or parents and they provide the info on what resource are available is there going to be follow up to make sure they are using them?? I just fear that this program will turn into a walking info line. These children have info line they need a heck of allot more than that.
Then we have kids that are effected by these children.Sunday night we had a group of relatively good kids out in front of my house and one of them was wheeling a 34 or 35 gun (not really sure what kind of a gun it had a clip) these were very young teens. My guess is at the least one was one of our lost children. If that one child was helped that whole group of kids may never of seen a gun close up like that there whole lives. So I do support this program. Just please do it right for these kids!!! And don't forget Cedar Hill kids we have a few! And we do love them, despite the trouble they have caused..because we must never forget these are still just children!

Posted by: Taxed To Death | July 17, 2007 10:23 AM

Wait and see. I trust the program is designed for accountability -- in terms of the time these outreach workers put in, as well as the results they achieve. It would be helpful to know what metric is being used to measure success. I grow weary of the programs whic claim success and nobody knows what it's measured against.

$613K is a lot of money to park in a program that after year one, will undoubtably turn into another line item in our city budget that escalates spending yet again. According to the city, there are about 200 problem kids -- this program will cost over $3000 each. I'd also like to know where the parents are? Is somebody working with them as well. These problems with their kids started at home with the lack of supervision, direction and discipline. God help us if they're procreating the same track record with children that are today, under the radar.

Posted by: Esbe | July 17, 2007 10:27 AM

We are half way through the summer and this program is just getting started! But better late than never, so kudos to everyone.

Here's what needs to happen next:

Growing Financial Support for this program over time. This is much more important than many other priorities of the city, both because we care so much about these kids and because this problem could destroy much of the progress the city has made in the last 20 years. This is more important than the Long Wharf Theater (which I love), more important than Tweed Aiport (which I support) and more important than plastic bags (which are nasty).
Community policing has to be restored to its former goals and priorities. The police chief has to be dragged kicking and screaming back to the policies that worked in earlier years.
Education in the city has to put the needs of the kids first. If Amistad Academy can produce academic stars from a close to randomly choosen group of poor city kids, then the city schools can do the same. This means that teachers will teach longer hours, for the same money, but for much greater rewards.
Jobs for local kids have to be a priority for the whole community. We need to greatly increase the size of training programs for health care and construction work, two robust local industries that import workers from far away. Gateway's programs in nursing and other health-care fields need to expland. Meanwhile, Yale is spending billions (literally) on new buildings over a long time period and new programs could train local kids for those high-paying jobs. Right now, qualified workers are coming from out-of-state to take those jobs.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | July 17, 2007 10:34 AM

ESBE
Wow well put!

Posted by: Taxed To Death | July 17, 2007 12:00 PM

And add remedial parenting classes for the parents of these kids. There is a new program in CA that mandates classes for parents of kids who get in trouble with the law. Sounds like a plan to me.

ESBE- interesting notes, but you have to instill in these kids the love of work and careers. It's easy for them to drop out of school (NH graduates only 65% of its high school kids) stand on a street corner, deal drugs or whatever. There are jobs now for these kids - it's not that there are no jobs. My dad told me a long time ago, there is always a job for somebody who wants to work. It may not be the job you want, but there will always be a job. It's not the lack of jobs, it's a lack of will.

Posted by: mary | July 17, 2007 2:24 PM

Great Job NHFA and to BARBARA TINNEY and please include the parenting program that I took from your group about 10 years ago.IT helped me greatly with my own girls and the training helped me with the kids I work with in the Fair Haven area.If your workers need some help in my area please tell them to come to Fair Haven School and ask for MS.MARY and I will walk with them.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | July 17, 2007 2:59 PM

Taxed To Death
I agree with your comment on the fact that there are jobs out there, they just may be really crumby ones. Youth today just does not understand that everyone starts at the bottom!! My first job was cleaning toilets for my grandfather on jobs sites!! Not a fun summer job for a young girl (mean Italian grandfather) but it sure taught me what hard work was! These kids truly need to be reprogrammed! And I do believe it is also the parents job to instill this . I would get into world war battles with my kids to go to there BK jobs. They hated it and said they were going to quit everyday. If it was not for me telling them to "suck it up", "get over it", this is the real world if you don't like it make sure you go to college! With out that parental push that some kids do need they get complacent. They need the guidance, they need to know that some jobs do suck but it should not be a reason to quit, it should be a reason to work harder so you can get a better job.
With that said the remedial parenting classes are a must.

Posted by: Ned | July 17, 2007 3:57 PM

http://www.bilerico.com/2007/07/black_communitys_throwaway_kids.php

Posted by: THREEFIFTHS | July 17, 2007 5:16 PM

Taxed To Death And CedarhillResident
What Jobs, I Was Just Reading A Report That One OF
The Reason That Young People Can Not Find Jobs Are That They Have To Compete In This Job Market
With The Elderly Who Are Working In Place Like Walmart,Target For Extra Income To Help Them To Pay For There Medicine And Doctor Co-Payment Cost.
I Have Even See Some Of The Elderly Working At Sixflags. The Middle Class Have Had There Jobs Out Sourced, I Know A Man Who Worked For Bayer For Twentyeight Years And Got Laid Off
And He Is Now Cutting Keys At Lowes.Also In This Report It Said When The Troops Start Comming Home
What Jobs Will They Have Waiting For Them.
I Saw A Professor At NYU In New York And He Had Shown Us Newspapers From 1970 To 1990 Of The Employment And Help Wanted Section Of The Newspapers The Employment Section Of Those Years
Had About Twentyfive Pages And Even Had Employment
Agencies That You Could Buy A Job And They Would Take There Fee Out Of You Paycheck Weekly Or If You Are Payed Bi-Weekly. Then He Had Shown Us Newspapers From 1995 To Present And The Employment
And Help Wanted Section From 1995 To Present The Pages Was Only Three And The Rest Of The Section
Was RealState And Automobile Sales.The Point That He Was Trying To Make Was Look At How From 1970 To
1990 You Did Not Have To Compete As Much To Find A Job As You Have To Now.I Take Teens In My Van To The Malls And They Do Fill Out Job Application
And Are Told We Will Call You And They Are Still Waiting To Be Called. Bottom Line Is This Country
Has A Employment Crisis That Has Effect All People.

Posted by: Esbe | July 17, 2007 6:47 PM

The parenting program is a great idea. But it is a little too easy to say that parents "have to" do a better job. There is no switch that we can throw to make that happen. Recall that some of these families disintegrated a few generations back. A baby boy born in 1992 to the 14-year-old daughter of a crack-using woman is today a 15-old kid who has been raised partly by his 70 year-old great-grand-mother, but mostly on the streets. These street-outreach workers are going to have to be surrogate dads to a whole lot of kids. That's why they are so important and why we wish them the best.

Street Outreach Workers Program Launched

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