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Posted: July 28, 2023
Rapid City
Agenda Item Summary

Agenda Item Ref. #: LF080223-22

Agenda Item Title:

Authorize Mayor and Finance Director to Sign Journey On Contract Amendments to Support Local At-Risk Youth through Safe Passage and High Risk Intervention Programs using the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative Grant in the Amount of $972,450.00 Over a 3 Year Period

Origination Group:
Legal & Finance Committee
Origination Meeting Date:
08/02/2023
City Council Hearing Date:
08/07/2023
Petitioner:
Don Hedrick
Staff Contact:
Jamie Kirsch/Jennifer Utter
Location:
City Council Chambers
Agenda Item Summary:
In 2022, the City of Rapid City was awarded a $2 million Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) grant through the Department of Justice. The grant enables Rapid City to build upon recent efforts to bring community partners and resources together to directly address issues such as gang activity, drug crimes and violence affecting the City’s youth. The grant will help to establish two separate pilot programs with community partner, Journey On. Journey On will be delivering their services in the community with community residents and youth outside the norm of traditional service provision. The first program is a Safe Passage program designed to help youth get to and from school safely in an area of our community that experiences a high rate of violent, gang and drug related activity. Journey On is willing to partner with the City to pilot this program focused on supporting school-aged youth as they are traveling to and from school/after school activities, and summer-related programming and events, which could include limited vehicle transport for vulnerable youth with the goal of stabilizing the family. In addition, they will provide proactive outreach to youth and families affected by traumatic events and/or who may be struggling with truancy, provide connection to services, in collaboration with project and existing victims service partners. The second program is a High Risk Intervention program that will focus on proactive outreach to youth at risk of engaging in gang and violent activities. With this funding and staff, Journey On is willing to pilot a novel high risk intervention program focused on redirecting youth with a history of engaging in violent or gang-related behaviors to the service provider network and into more positive youth-related activities. Proactive outreach to areas where there is known drug and gang activity is a key component of this intervention program. Employing credible messengers, such as Journey On staff, is an effective way to reach youth who are contemplating, or are already, engaging in gang and drug activity. Journey On mentors will help remove barriers to service connection in collaboration with other service providers and will attend weekly case management meetings with RCPD Youth Outreach Team staff and other key stakeholders serving youth. In addition to mentorship and proactive outreach, Journey On agrees to participate in providing de-escalation support when violent incidents occur in the area of operation and to support conflict resolution efforts when tensions in the neighborhood are high. Both of these programs will work in strong partnership with the RCPD’s Youth Outreach Team, which facilitates response to patrol officer referred families who need help with service connection, and with Rapid City Area Schools and the McKinney Vento program. This contract for the Safe Passage and High Risk Intervention Programs will be reviewed annually and Journey On’s performance both in programming service delivery and establishing policies and procedures to sustain organizational capacity for maintaining these programs independently into the future will be a factor in securing consecutive year’s contract over the 3-year period. The goal after the 3 year period is for Journey On to be independently capable of maintaining these programs. Please see CVIPI Journey On Contract Memo for more details regarding these programs.

Funding Source & Fiscal Impact (if applicable):

Funding Cost Center

Recommendations:

Origination Recommendation Action:
Approve
Published in 2023 - LF Agenda Items

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