“It’s not a program. They’re family.”
William G Gross, Superintendent-In-Chief, Boston Police Department commenting on social workers co-located in BPD’s precinct offices
In partnership with the Boston Police Department (BPD), YouthConnect places licensed clinical social workers in police departments throughout the city of Boston. The partnership allows YouthConnect’s staff to immediately intervene with youth at critical moments in their lives, namely when they are engaging in –or at risk of—engaging in delinquent activity. The clinical social workers link at-risk youth to positive choices.
YouthConnect, a Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston initiative, originally served as one of the foundation stones for the “Boston Miracle.” In the early 1990s, crime and homicides skyrocketed in the City of Boston. This dramatic rise in crime spurred a thorough re-thinking of Boston’s arrest and prevention policy and practice, rethinking that spurred new arrangements between a range of professionals who worked with gangs: from police to social workers, from the faith community to prosecutors. One result: the nationally unprecedented step of placing social workers in Boston’s police precincts. Another result: no youth homicides over a two-year period – Boston’s “Miracle.” YouthConnect continues its miraculous work today.
Executive Director Andrea Perry manages YouthConnect’s social work staff. “It was the combination of two different cultures,“ says Perry. “It took us a while to get clarity about who we are and who we’re not. It needed to start at the top with the chief,“ continues Perry. “Then down through the command staff, then to the local precinct level and then to us – the police and my social workers – figuring out how we were going to make it work day to day in the community.” They could report on trends, what’s going on in housing projects, going on with gangs, but had to be clear about not sharing information about individuals. Officers could not direct Perry’s staff, but could suggest.
“We knew we shared a mission: We both care for our young people, and we both care about Boston, the city we love,” says Perry. “Despite that, at first, we had to get to know each other.” How could we not? We’re just down the hall at our desks.” It became natural: the morning greeting, the shared coffee, the “I know your boy’s been sick, how’s he doin’?” It’s the line worker at her desk in the police precinct and out in the community who makes or breaks YouthConnect.”
With trust came referrals. Perry cited an incident that “actually has become normal. An officer would say something like, ‘We just arrested a 17-year-old. There are kids at his house scared to death, and the family’s a mess. You might want to check it out.’”
Irza Torres, one of Perry’s social workers, grew up in Roxbury, one of Boston’s most troubled areas. The first in her family to attend college, she had first intended to become a teacher. “But so many of the kids couldn’t learn because they were hungry or sleepy or had trouble at home,” says Torres. “I went into social work because I wanted to help them get on their feet so they could succeed in school.”
Torres loves her job which involves intake, resource coordination, clinical case management and advocacy. “I love it. I wanted to give back. Given my life, how I began, I thought ‘anything’s possible.’ And that’s what I want to communicate to my kids – anything’s possible.”
“I realize I’m a guest and a resource,” reflects Torres. “I was so uneasy at first – me working out of a police station! But now it’s magical, wonderful. We chip in, buying gifts for families. It started as a program, but it’s not a program anymore. We share the same worries about what we can do to help families in trouble. I’ll come to work in the morning and often I’ll find a sticky on my phone that says something like, ‘You might want to check out this youth.’ It’s a warm handoff. We have mutual respect for each other.”
YouthConnect’s goals are to reduce delinquent behavior, increase involvement in educational, vocational and out-of-school time opportunities and to increase support services to help stabilize their lives. They’ve served more than 14,000 individuals since the program’s inception in 1996. A 2004 Center for Disease Control study showed a 59% reduction in weapon carrying, a 64% reduction in aggressive behavior and a 71% reduction in victimization in Boston. I asked Perry how many youth were kept out of the criminal justice system. “It’s really hard to measure prevention,” she responded, “but I know we did [keep them out].”
The BPD/YouthConnect arrangement is no longer a program. “It’s part of how we do business,” says Superintendent-In-Chief William Gross. He stresses the shared vision of “helping strengthen struggling family units.” He enthusiastically points out that partnership has changed how his officers see themselves. ”Of course they’ll arrest,” he says. “That’s part of their job. But they don’t want to keep arresting. They want to stop the cycle.” He illustrates what his police see on a daily basis – an arrestee’s eight- and twelve-year-old brothers about to step on the same path, kids who see only arrest, detention, even death. “You know, to have YouthConnect as a resource makes my officers feel better, about who they are and what they do.” Gross goes deeper: “We’re building better officers. Encouraging empathy, compassion makes our officers stronger, not weaker. It’s okay to care.”
With a broad smile Gross concludes, “You know we have another tool on our belts – yes cuffs, a club and a gun…and YouthConnect. They are integral to our work. Integral. They’re part of the team. Impossible to do our police work without them.” Gross goes even deeper: “No, they’re part of the family.”
For more information about YouthConnect, contact Andrea Perry at aperry@bgcb.org or visit YouthConnect’s website at https://www.bgcb.org/what-we-do/youthconnect/.
Written by Jack Calhoun
Mr. Calhoun is an internationally renowned public speaker and frequent media guest, editorial contributor and author of three books. He is the founder and CEO of Hope Matters. For more than 20 years, Mr. Calhoun was the founding president of the National Crime Prevention Council, prior to which he served under President Carter as the Commissioner of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families.
Click on “Contact” to book Mr. Calhoun to speak at your next conference. All speaking topics are available at: www.HopeMatters.org/Speaker
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