Community Based Outreach and Advocacy Services

The vendor is required to provide community-based outreach and advocacy services are designed to actively seek and engage hard to reach at-risk youth and their families to prevent and address immediate and long-term needs through the provision of case management, integration of social services, and referral for services.
- Prevent and mitigate negative youth outcomes by connecting youth and their family to services that address risk factors, build natural supports, and resilience.
- Services may include:
• Nontraditional outreach efforts to identify and engage hard to reach, hidden, and vulnerable youth populations in their community and habitat.
• Provide outreach during times youth and families are available (e.g., afternoons, evenings, weekends, etc.).
• Establish and build a trusting relationship with youth and families.
• Conduct intake and needs assessments for youth and their families.
• Develop goals and service plans that are youth and/or family driven.
• Advocate on behalf of the youth and families to secure necessary resources for them to achieve their service goals.
• Provide information on community resources and referral options.
• Provide and establish educational platforms to address youth violence prevention, to engage youth and families in understanding the various types and impacts of community violence, such as domestic violence, cyber-bullying, gun violence, etc.
• Provide information on laws and the juvenile justice system to educate and help youth and their family navigate the juvenile justice system.
• Assist youth to interface and negotiate with service providers, school, and their community to improve self-efficacy skills as they learn to navigate the systems of care.
• Motivate and empower youth and their family to build and strengthen their natural supports and build advocacy skills to act on their own behalf.
• Provide opportunities that foster healthy development and diversion from risk elevating activities and attitudes.
• Collaboration and coordination with other youth organizations (public and private) that provide services to youth.
• Identify and collaborate with community resources or service providers that provide a temporary safe place for youth, while referral can be initiated (when appropriate).
• Assess youth progress and communicate the progress to collaterals.
• Provide support during crisis situations to assist in stabilizing youth.
• Provide transportation to support youth’s service goals.