Newark Community Street Team Inc

NCST'S MISSION IS TO HELP REDUCE CRIME, AID AND ASSIST VICTIMS, AND PROMOTE PUBLIC TRUST IN JUSTICE.

THE NEWARK COMMUNITY STREET TEAM (NCST) WAS FOUNDED AS NEWARK'S COMMUNITY-BASED VIOLENCE REDUCTION STRATEGY. NCST DRAWS UPON AN EVIDENCE-BASED, TRAUMA INFORMED APPROACH TO VIOLENCE REDUCTION THROUGH PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION IN NEWARK COMMUNITIES. NCST HIRES, TRAINS AND DEPLOYS OUTREACH WORKERS AND HIGH RISK INTERVENTIONISTS IN THE SOUTH AND WEST WARDS OF NEWARK AND OPERATES NEWARK'S TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTER, AN EVICTION PREVENTION TEAM, A SCHOOL-BASED SAFE PASSAGE PROGRAM AND A HOSPITAL BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM AS WELL AS A VICTIM SERVICES DEPARTMENT. NCST RECENTLY LAUNCHED AN OVERDOSE RESPONSE TEAM.HIGH RISK INTERVENTION THE HIGH RISK INTERVENTION (HRI) TEAM'S PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO RESPOND TO COMMUNITY BASED VIOLENCE INCIDENTS BASED ON REFERRAL FROM THE COMMUNITY OR LAW ENFORCEMENT. HRI CONNECTS THOSE ENGAGED IN VIOLENCE TO SUPPORTIVE COUNSELING, CRISIS INTERVENTION ASSESSMENT AND MEDIATION, REFERRALS AND RESOURCE INFORMATION IN ORDER TO RESTORE PEACE AND AVOID ARREST AND INCARCERATION. NCST EMPLOYS SIX (6) HIGH RISK INTERVENTIONISTS AND HAS RESPONDED TO OVER 550 DISPATCHES YTD.HOSPITAL BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM (HVIP) NCST'S HOSPITAL VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM (HVIP) IS A HOSPITAL BASED APPROACH TO INTERVENE, PREVENT AND SET THE VICTIM OF VIOLENCE ON A DIFFERENT PATH FROM RETALIATION AND/OR REVICTIMIZATION. NCST HAS THREE (3) COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS (CHW) , ONE (1) HIGH RISK INTERVENTIONIST (HRI) AND ONE (1) PROJECT MANAGER (PM) THAT ENGAGES INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED, OFFERING WRAPAROUND SERVICES (TRAUMA RECOVERY, RELOCATION, CASE MANAGEMENT AND VICTIM ASSISTANCE). THIS YEAR, THERE HAVE BEEN 89 CONSENTS INTO NEWARK'S HVIP.SAFE PASSAGENCST PROVIDES SAFE PASSAGE AT SCHOOLS IN AREAS WITH HOT SPOTS OF VIOLENCE. OUTREACH WORKERS ARE DEPLOYED IN TEAMS AT KEY EXIT AND ENTRY POINTS OF THE SCHOOL, BUS STOPS, STORES AND INTERSECTIONS WHERE YOUTH CONGREGATE IN AND AROUND THE SCHOOL. NCST'S SAFE PASSAGE CURRENTLY SERVES 12 SCHOOLS IN NEWARK. THE SAFE PASSAGE TEAM ALSO LEADS WEEKLY COMMUNITY WALKS IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MAY HAVE STRUGGLES WITH VIOLENCE, AND THE TEAM HAS LED 93 COMMUNITY WALKS.VICTIM SERVICESTHROUGH NCST'S VICTIM SERVICES DEPARTMENT, SKILLED OUTREACH WORKERS WORK INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A TEAM TO PREVENT COMMUNITY-BASED VIOLENCE. WE HELP RESIDENTS WITH HARDSHIP ASSISTANCE, LIFE MANAGEMENT SKILLS, SOCIAL SERVICE ASSISTANCE, WELLNESS SUPPORT, LEGAL SUPPORT, CRIME SURVIVOR SUPPORT SERVICES, EMPLOYMENT/EDUCATION REFERRALS AND MORE. NCST EMPLOYS FOUR (4) CASE MANAGERS WHO SUPPORTED 59 MENTEES FROM AUGUST 2021-2022 AND ASSISTED VICTIMS IN THE AMOUNT OF $37,665.84 THROUGH 23 APPLICATIONS TO THE VICTIMS OF CRIME COMPENSATION OFFICE.TRAUMA RECOVERY CENTERNCST'S TRC EXPANDS DELIVERY OF CLINICAL SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED TRAUMATIZED POPULATIONS. WE HAVE CREATED A SAFE SPACE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR CRIME SURVIVORS TO RECEIVE MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT, ADVOCACY, AND VICTIM SERVICES. THE TRC PRESENTLY HAS 7 CLINICIANS, 2 OUTREACH WORKERS, AND 1 INTERN, TOTALING 11 STAFF MEMBERS. GIVEN OUR HISTORY AS A STRONG COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION, NCST IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO NAVIGATE THE NUANCES OF SERVICE DELIVERY TO A POPULATION THAT HAS BEEN OR CURRENTLY OVERLOOKED AND UNDERSERVED BY TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONAL AGENCIES. NCST STAFF IS ADEPT AT HELPING VICTIMS THROUGH THESE PROCESSES. THERE HAVE BEEN 212 TRC CLIENTS SERVED YTD SINCE ITS INCEPTION TWO YEARS AGO.EVICTION PREVENTIONTHIS TEAM GOES OUT ON A DAILY BASIS KNOCKING ON DOORS IN NEWARK AND PASSING OUT INFORMATION ABOUT TENANT LEGAL SERVICES AND HELPING PEOPLE WITH QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES. THE TEAM CONSISTS OF 1 SUPERVISOR AND 6 STAFF MEMBERS AND HAS KNOCKED ON OVER 13,000 DOORS AND PREVENTED OVER 5,000 EVICTIONS IN THE SOUTH, NORTH AND WEST WARDS OF NEWARK.OVERDOSE RESPONSE TEAMNCST'S OVERDOSE RESPONSE TEAM IMPROVES OPIOID USE DISORDER CARE AND REDUCES OVERDOSE MORTALITY IN NEWARK. EACH ENGAGEMENT ORT STAFF HAS WITH PATIENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ENCOURAGES HARM REDUCTION PRACTICES, OFTEN INCLUDING DISTRIBUTION OF HARM REDUCTION MATERIALS. SO IN ADDITION TO LITERALLY SAVING LIVES DURING AN OVERDOSE RESPONSE, THE EDUCATION AND ACCESS TO HARM REDUCTION SUPPLIES AND SERVICES ALLOWS FOR CAPACITY BUILDING WITH THE COMMUNITY. NCST ORT HOSTS A MONTHLY STAKEHOLDER MEETING IN ORDER TO ELEVATE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH OUD AND, IDEALLY, COLLECTIVELY RESOLVE THEM.