Youth Violence Prevention

The Seattle Human Services Department is working with several other City of Seattle departments on the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, a community-based, multi-agency strategy to address youth violence in Seattle. The City will invest approximately $8 million during 2009 – 2010 to focus on youth, ages 12 – 17, who are at the highest risk of perpetuating or being victimized by violence. The Initiative’s efforts will be coordinated through three neighborhood networks in Central, Southeast, and Southwest Seattle where indicators of future violent behaviors, such as discipline rates in schools, are the highest. Specifically, the Initiative will:

• Assist youth with repeat offenses to re-enter society from state or county detention programs;
• Provide alternatives for youth who are detained or arrested for crimes, but released because they don’t meet the admission criteria for county detention;
• Help middle-school truants and students at risk of suspension stay in school and succeed; and
• Prevent victims of violence and associates from continuing the cycle of violence through retaliation.

The goals of the Initiative are to achieve a 50% reduction in certain court referrals of juveniles and a 50% reduction in suspensions and expulsions from selected middle schools due to violence related incidents.

For more information on the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, please go to
cityofseattle.net/mayor/issues/youthInitiative/

Human Services Department Programs

The Human Services Department (HSD) has been closely involved in the planning and implementation of the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative (SYVPI). In particular, HSD has issued three Requests for Investment (RFIs) to work with agencies that will run specific violence prevention programs in the targeted neighborhoods. Please visit the following links for more information.

SYVPI Case Management

• Atlantic Street Center
• Center for Career Alternatives
• Consejo Counseling and Referral Service
• Powerful Voices
• SafeFutures Youth Center
• Southwest Youth and Family Services

SYVPI Mentoring

• 4-C Coalition
• Big Brothers Big Sisters

SYVPI Aggression Replacement Training

• Southwest Youth and Family Services

More Information

For more information about the SYVPI-funded agencies and other Seattle Human Services Department-funded youth programs, please call 206-386-1017 or e-mail youthservices@seattle.gov.

Links

• Current Funding Opportunities
• News