CHA partners with community to address youth violence
Events across the country have residents and neighborhood stakeholders asking what can be done to better address violence in our communities.
Cambridge Vice Mayor Marc McGovern penned an editorial in the Cambridge Chronicle discussing some of the efforts being made by the City of Cambridge, in conjunction with local law enforcement and community-based organizations including Cambridge Health Alliance, to foster positive youth development. Part of his column highlighted the Cambridge Safety Net Collaborative which was founded in 2007.
Safety Net has successfully diverted hundreds of Cambridge youths into structured activities, such as athletic leagues and after school programs. Safety Net also provides young adults with counseling and mental health services as needed. A psychologist at CHA, James Barrett, PhD, heads the mental health assessment and treatment portion of the program. He meets with representatives of the other organizations involved, Cambridge Police, schools, and Department of Human Services, every other week. Together, they review cases involved with the Safety Net and refer them to an appropriate program using a social work model.
Today police officers in Cambridge act as resources in the community, moving beyond their strict law enforcement mandate, and look for red flags in behavior that indicate a role for Safety Net to intervene. WBUR highlighted the program, its approach, and the positive impact it has had on youth. Read WBUR’s story here.
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