Ad Hoc Group Against Crime

ADHOC GROUP AGAINST CRIME IS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE THAT, THROUGH CRISIS INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION, SUPPORTS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.

ADHOC GROUP AGAINST CRIME IS KANSAS CITY'S PRINCIPAL SOURCE FOR SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME. VICTIMS TRUST US TO PROVIDE COMPASSION, TO HELP THEM DEAL WITH THE CRISES PRECIPITATED BY THE VIOLENT CRIME, TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND TO WALK WITH THEM AND HELP THEM BEGIN TO HEAL. WE SERVE VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE AND THEIR FAMILIES, INCLUDING GUNSHOT AND OTHER ASSAULT SURVIVORS, HOMICIDE VICTIM FAMILIES, PEOPLE WHOSE PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED BY GUNFIRE, AND WITNESSES TO GUN/OTHER VIOLENCE. DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE PEOPLE WE SERVE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: * APPROXIMATELY 80% OF ADHOC CLIENTS LIVE IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, 15% IN WYANDOTTE COUNTY, KS, AND 5% IN JOHNSON COUNTY, KS. * OUR CLIENTS ARE 80% AFRICAN AMERICAN, 15% LATINO AND 5% CAUCASIAN; 65% ARE FEMALE, 35% MALE. * THEY RANGE IN AGE FROM 12 TO 60 AND OLDER, BUT MOST CLIENTS ARE OLDER TEENS, YOUNG ADULTS, AND ADULTS IN THEIR 30S AND 40S. * WE ESTIMATE THAT 78% HAVE INCOMES BELOW FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL (FPL), 15% UP TO TWICE FPL, AND 7% OVER TWICE FPL. (FPL FOR A 4-PERSON HOUSEHOLD IN 2021 IS $26,500.) * ONLY 10 PERCENT HAVE PRIVATE INSURANCE, 85% HAVE MEDICAID AND 5% HAVE MEDICARE. ASSETS/STRENGTHS THAT PROMOTE THE RESILIENCY OF OUR TARGET POPULATION INCLUDE: 1) STRONG FAMILY BONDS, BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN, BETWEEN SIBLINGS, AND WITH EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBERS (E.G., GRANDPARENTS, AUNTS AND UNCLES AND COUSINS), 2) STRONG FAITH AND CHURCH CONNECTIONS, 3) STRONG PARENTAL COMMITMENT TO A BETTER LIFE FOR THEIR CHILDREN BY WORKING MORE THAN ONE JOB, ADVOCATING FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY SAFETY AND FOR A BETTER EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN, SEEKING MORE EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR THEMSELVES. ADHOC IS A HIGHLY TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR VIOLENCE-RELATED CRISIS SUPPORT, A LEGACY THAT BEGAN IN 1977. IN 2020, WE RECEIVED NEARLY 3,500 CALLS THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY AND YOUTH HELPLINES AND DIRECTLY TO OUR STAFF, FROM PEOPLE SEEKING VICTIM SERVICES, MAKING A COMPLAINT AGAINST POLICE OR SEEKING HELP IN ACCESSING OTHER INFORMATION OR SERVICES. DURING A TYPICAL YEAR, HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUALS DROP BY OUR OFFICE IN THE HEART OF THE URBAN CORE. IT IS A PLACE WHERE VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE CAN MEET WITH A STAFF MEMBER AND FIND OTHER RESOURCES, WHERE EX-OFFENDERS AND OTHERS LEARN TO RESOLVE CONFLICT WITHOUT VIOLENCE AND BECOME EMPLOYMENT READY, AND WHERE STAFF MEMBERS SERVING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE A HOME BASE. ADHOC WAS ALSO ONE OF ONLY FOUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE KANSAS CITY NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERSHIP (PSP) STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. IT BEGAN IN OCTOBER 2018, WITH THE INITIAL STRATEGIC PLAN ISSUED IN OCTOBER 2020. THE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO "REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE AND BUILD TRUST BETWEEN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND THE KANSAS CITY COMMUNITY." ADHOC PLAYS A KEY ROLE ON THE INTERVENTION TEAM THROUGH VICTIM/WITNESS SUPPORT AND SERVING PEOPLE ON PROBATION/PAROLE AND OTHERS WITH A HIGH AND MODERATE RISK FOR GUN VIOLENCE. IN ADDITION, ADHOC PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN IDENTIFYING VIOLENCE PREVENTION NEEDS FOR THE KC BLUEPRINT FOR VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND A SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY, ADOPTED BY THE KCMO CITY COUNCIL IN 2019. WITH MULTIPLE POINTS OF ACCESS, ADHOC SERVICES ENABLE PEOPLE TO LIVE HEALTHY AND RESILIENT LIVES. WE OFFER THESE BARRIER-FREE, BEST PRACTICE SERVICES TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE TRAUMA OF VIOLENCE. THE LIST OF ADHOC SERVICES INCLUDES: * CRISIS INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS/FAMILIES: CRISIS INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IMPACTED BY VIOLENCE, TRAUMA RESPONSE TEAM OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS DOOR-TO-DOOR CANVASSING IN NEIGHBORHOODS FOLLOWING A HOMICIDE OR VIOLENT INCIDENT TO INVITE RESIDENTS TO ACCESS ADHOC SERVICES AND ENCOURAGE COOPERATION WITH POLICE, PRAYER VIGILS TO HONOR HOMICIDE VICTIMS, COMMUNITY AND YOUTH 24-HOUR HOT LINES TO REPORT MISSING PERSONS OR ADDRESS NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY ISSUES, FLIER DISTRIBUTION BY STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS FOR MISSING ADULTS AND TEENS. * FREE, IN-HOME, GRIEF- AND TRAUMA-FOCUSED COUNSELING * TRAUMA AND GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS * COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION (CBI) GROUPS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS * REVIVE - A NEW HOSPITAL-BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM * PROMOTION OF ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE: DAILY RADIO PSAS AND REGULAR 30-MINUTE RADIO BROADCASTS * BRIDGE BETWEEN COMMUNITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT: JOINT FORUMS, ADHOC OFFICE AS SITE OF KANSAS CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS, CONFLICT MEDIATION IN COOPERATION WITH POLICE * JOBS PROGRAM: ADHOC JOB READINESS, COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR AND LIFE SKILLS TRAINING; AND HANDS-ON SKILLS TRAINING THROUGH LOCAL BUSINESS AND GENERAL CONTRACTOR PARTNERSHIPS IN A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIES. IN TERMS OF SUCCESSES, EXTENSIVE IN-PERSON CRISIS INTERVENTION HELPS STABILIZE FAMILIES AND HEAL TRAUMA THROUGH ACCESS TO ADHOC COUNSELING AND OTHER SERVICES, ASSISTANCE NAVIGATING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND EVEN HOME REPAIRS. COUNSELING CLIENTS REALIZE A REDUCTION IN TRAUMA SYMPTOMS. YOUTH AND ADULT CBI GROUP PARTICIPANTS UNCOVER ANTISOCIAL THOUGHTS AND IMPROVE PROBLEM SOLVING AND SOCIAL SKILLS. FINALLY, ADHOC MEETS UNITED WAY AGENCY STANDARDS AS DETERMINED THROUGH UNITED WAY'S ANNUAL CERTIFICATION PROCESS COVERING GOVERNANCE, FINANCIAL PRACTICES AND ADDITIONAL MEASURES. IN 2022, ADHOC PROVIDED CRISIS CASE MANAGEMENT TO OVER 500 INDIVIDUALS, PROVIDED OVER 1300 HOURS OF COUNSELING TO GRIEVING FAMILIES, PROVIDED HOME REPAIRS TO OVER 114 HOMES, CONDUCTED 32 FAMILY SAFETY PLANS, AND 42 INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS GRADUATED FROM THE THINKING FOR A CHANGE PROGRAM.