Voyage / Blue Ribbon Commission on the Prevention of Youth Violence

The Blue Ribbon Commission on the Prevention of Youth Violence (BRC) was formed in 2008under the United Way of the Cape Fear Area as a response to the prevalent violence among youthin the North side of downtown Wilmington. In 2012 the BRC began operating as its ownindependent 501(c) (3) non-profit. Research suggests that communities generally considered"healthy and successful" experience significantly lower rates of violent crime. Therefore, webegan to look at community violence through a public health lens. Moreover, we now take apublic health, community-based approach through providing wrap-around services centeredaround the CDC's social-ecological framework and social determinants of health. Voyage'scurrent mission is to connect underserved youth with pathways to success. We feel that if we canempower our youth to become successful and healthy adults, we can transform the communityand mitigate the prevalence of violence in the future. We believe that to successfully empoweryouth, we must also empower their families and the communities in which they live. Our threefocus areas include: empowering individuals and families, fostering advocacy and leadership,and providing positive community engagement and enrichment opportunities. All of our staffmembers share a unique bond with the communities we serve, bringing firsthand knowledge andlived experiences that enrich our programs and foster trust among the youth and families wesupport.Voyage has significantly expanded its initiatives to enhance the overall health, wellbeing, andsuccess of local youth, particularly in the past 5 years. Our journey began with a robustfoundation in case management, through what we called the Community Outreach Advocate(COA) model, which was adapted from the STRIVE Initiative, CURE Violence Model, andCHW Model. Through our COA model, we were able to support our most vulnerable youth andtheir families and follow the below five step process:Step 1: Intake and Needs assessment The COA model begins by assessing the individual needsof families on a variety of topics including but not limited to: -housing -employment -education-family relationships -justice system -food security -health practices -income This assessmentallows the COAs to best understand the areas in which families could benefit from assistance anddetermines eligibility for being assigned to a COA caseload.Step 2: Identifying family goals The COA then works with the parents to identify goals for boththe family unit as a whole, as well as all individuals in the household. It is important to Voyagethat we do not define success for the family. Rather, we let the family define what success lookslike to them and identify their goals accordingly.Step 3. Prioritize goals After identifying goals, it is critical that we prioritize goals and define theorder in which the family should go about working on those goals to optimize chances forsustainable success.Step 4: COAs create an action plan for success. After prioritizing goals, the COAs create anaction plan for the family including contact information for and descriptions of organizations thatcan provide services and resources that address their needs, as well as a timeline for when thefamilies should be working towards goals.Step 5: Navigation and follow up After providing the action plan, the COA offers ongoingsupport through assisting the family in navigating the organizations (application process, settingup appointments, etc.). The COA continues to follow up multiple times per week to ensure thefamilies feel supported and offer assistance in overcoming any obstacles they may encounterwhen working towards their goals.While our staff were not certified CHWs at the time, the lived and shared experiences our teambrought to the table proved invaluable to initiating a true Community Health Worker model inthe future. Our time operating the COA model in the Northside community provided us with athorough understanding of the needs and challenges faced by our community's youth.Building upon this experience, we have since hired and integrated eight (8) Certified CommunityHealth Workers (CHWs) into our programs for the past two years through the formalizedpartnership with New Hanover County Government and New Hanover County Schools. Thisaddition has been pivotal in addressing the social determinants of health and establishingprotective factors that contribute to our youth's resilience and development.Central to our efforts are our in school support program and afterschool program, designed notonly to support personal and educational growth but also prioritize social-emotional learning,address behavioral issues within school settings, and foster overall health and wellbeing.Through structured activities and mentorship with Community Health Workers who arerepresentative of the students we serve, we empower youth to navigate challenges, build positiverelationships, and develop essential life skills, all while ensuring their basic needs are met.Practical support is also a cornerstone of our services. We assist families by helping themmanage doctor appointments, providing medication reminders, and offering transportation tomedical visits. For ESL families, we bridge language barriers by offering translation services andconnecting them with essential health-related resources, thereby removing access barriers tohealthcare.Our commitment to wraparound services extends beyond immediate needs, focusing onrelationship-building to foster trust and ultimately promote greater utilization of healthcareservices. Annually, we serve over 350 youth and their families, ensuring each individual receivespersonalized support tailored to their unique circumstances.To further enhance our impact, we facilitate the Health and Wellbeing Committee, wherestakeholders come together to shape our programs and ensure they remain responsive tocommunity needs. Through this collaborative framework, we elevate student voices throughleadership opportunities and connecting them to local government decision makers, empoweringthem to advocate for themselves and their peers. Collaboration is at the heart of our approach.For example, partnering with Community Care of the Lower Cape Fear, we have hostedimpactful workshops on mental health and behavioral education. These workshops not onlyeducate parents on recognizing signs of mental health issues but also foster a supportive networkthat strengthens our community's response to these challenges. Furthermore, we have partneredwith our local youth participants, Novant NHRMC, the NHC Health Dept, YMCA, Mednorth,and more, to distribute health assessment surveys to our community in an effort to elevate voicesand gauge where we should put our effort to address community concerns. We administered thissurvey in 2018 and 2023, with the next iteration in 2028. Some major successes from theinitiatives brought forth from this survey include the idea and fruition of the Northside FoodCooperative (a grocery coming to downtown Wilmington that will end a 35 year long fooddesert), $730,000 worth of community park improvements advocated for by the Voyage YouthLeadership Council, Free Community Zumba lessons in the park, and more.In line with our commitment to holistic development, we launched a Summer YouthEmployment Program to provide valuable job skills and income opportunities, ensuring ouryouth are equipped for future success. Additionally, our focus on life skills, personaldevelopment, conflict resolution, self care, and mental health awareness is integrated into ourweekly trainings, aimed at reducing stigma and promoting open dialogue among youth, families,and the community. SEP opens doors for our youth who represent demographics less likely towork in advanced health care positions to pursue those career paths. Greater representation inthese occupations will lead to a more culturally diverse and sensitive system of care, ultimatelyresulting in greater trust and utilization.Voyage remains steadfast in its mission to empower youth through comprehensive,community-centered initiatives that promote health, wellbeing, and lifelong success. Byaddressing both the immediate needs and long-term developmental goals of our youth, we striveto create a supportive environment where every young person can thrive and contributepositively to our community's future.