Youth Violence Prevention Initiative Threatened by House Budget
The fate of The Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI), a violence prevention strategy focused on young men between the ages of 14 and 24 who are at risk of being victims or perpetrators of violence, now lies with the conference committee reconciling the House and Senate budgets. While the Senate Budget proposal included $4 million for the initiative, SSYI received no funding under the House Plan. Last year SSYI received $10 million.
SSYI provides funding for street outreach, trauma counseling, and employment programs like those provided by the United Teen Equality Center (UTEC) in Lowell. The eleven communities that receive funding for SSYI are: Lynn, Lowell, Worcester, Springfield, Lawrence, Brockton, Chelsea, Fall River, New Bedford, Holyoke and Boston.
UTEC has put together a campaign, SSYI Advocacy, to lobby for increased funding for SSYI. Last week they held a press conference, where people from all 11 communities who benefit from the initiative attended. According to the SSYI Advocacy Group, after SSYI was implemented in 2012:
– Aggravated assault offenders ages 14-24 in SSYI communities dropped 14%
– 14-24 year old homicide victims in SSYI communities dropped 46%
– SSYI identified 1,408 proven risk youth and successfully contacted 1,058 of them.– 323 were enrolled in an education program, 282 were enrolled in an employment program, 165 were receiving behavioral health services and 392 family members were receiving services.
