Our Street Outreach Specialist are out daily. They are working the inner-city streets of high crime areas confronting the issue of gun violence head on.
As we redirect our communities out of a prison pipeline system that has failed our youth across the country, I &F will lead our participants to a path of positive living. We make every effort to connect participants to life changing resources during difficult times.
OUR MISSION:
TO EDUCATE THE YOUTH ABOUT ALTERNATIVE CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS TO COMBAT THE GUN VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC IN THE INNER-CITY STREETS OF CHICAGO. WE SERVE AS AN INTERMEDIARY TO STREET CONFLICTS AND FLARE-UPS THAT ARE HIGH RISK OF RESULTING IN DEATH AND/OR INCARECERATION BY USE OF A GUN.
At I & F we believe that the best way to reach people is to go to where they are. We go to high-risk communities and engage with men and boys to deter street disagreements that are likely to result in some type of gun violence.
We develop relationships of trust and kindship with individuals and community members in order to be as effective as possible in the work we do. Part of our efforts in building trust is that our Street Outreach Team members have also experienced similar trauma in their community. Often, they work in the same neighborhoods they themselves grew up in.
Our team's relatability and credibility allow them to frequent high crime areas and some of the most dangerous neighborhoods. Our team can talk to individuals that have been identified as having some type of street conflict. Usually, a street conflict that has a high probability of ending in gun violence (without intervention by a third party). Our Outreach Team members are trained to use various conflict resolution and de-escalation tactics to bring about a more tempered outcome.
We monitor street disputes by way of social media, word of mouth, and other means, to identify persons involved and evaluate if the situation is serious enough to likely be heading towards some type of gun violence.
We act as an intermediary and go to the parties involved. often to their homes and neighborhoods, and try to talk them down, or bring about an alternative resolution to the conflict other than using guns to settle their disagreements. Educating the youth about conflict resolution and getting them involved in various community events and activities is an extension of what we do.
We understand that changing the thinking and culture of the youth is critical to our goal of combating the gun violence epidemic.
Our Street Outreach is the biggest and most vital aspect of what we do. Street Team Specialist are a devoted group of people who do the dangerous hands-on work of going out in the community to work directly with high risk individuals in real life street disputes to diffuse the situation before it leads to gun violence. They serve as an intermediary to conflicts that has high potential to led to serious harm or loss of life.
Although we primarily look to prevent gun violence, we take care for the victims, survivors, and others impacted by gun violence to help rectify the community after harm has already been caused. Victim service advocates provide opportunities of comfort, compensation, and healing that is needed during the most trying of times.
Victims are supported from the time of the incident until all needs have been met both physically, and emotionally. They work closely with health professionals to provide mental health care to victims, and community outreach connections to provide all other needs that a victim my have on their road to recovery from trauma caused by gun violence.
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Integrity & Fidelity NFP
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