Syracuse Common Council Reviews Anti-Violence Grant Reallocation (March 26, 2026)

103,000.

So the updated award would be 272, 278 and 36 cents.

So right now for Syracuse Community Connections, their balance is almost 220,000.

So the way we came up with this is due to two programs, um, one being unbelievable, who did not uh submit any invoices or do any work over the last few years.

Um we combine their original award with OGs Against Gun Violence original award.

And then we split between those two organizations and their original ward um and put it into Syracuse Community Connection and Good Life U Foundation.

So that's how we come up with the numbers and where we are now.

Um the original award for both Good Life and Southwest, which were we were contracted with Snug at the time, they both were the same.

The reason that you'll see more added on to the Southwest Center is because they will be housing and working with mothers against gun violence, which will be run by Leepa Jones.

Um so you would see a little more in that.

Um I'll take questions as I know you you guys would have questions for me.

So with these positions, um teeth, what who are they okay?

So I see let's start off with good life, right?

Um the executive director, where's the sheet that had what they were getting before versus what they're getting now?

Like the breakdown, because now this is saying year three, this is the money that's being added towards um what they're already doing.

This extra money.

Right, so that money comes from what I explained from the two organizations that have pulled out, which is OG OGs against gun violence, unbelievable.

So we combine that money from those two organizations and put funding to to the two organizations that are continuing to do the work.

So I apologize.

That's why I should have said it differently.

Do you have reporting from these programs already that says like who works, what they're doing, what are some of the things that they do?

Yeah, so they're here today, and they can if you're ready to for them to come up, I can have them come up and they'll be able to do that.

I think that would help because I know it's me.

You're trying to sell it and yeah, I'm just giving you the numbers.

Yeah, you're giving us the numbers, which is thank you very much for that.

But to hear from them so we know exactly what the program money is being used for, what they're doing, what are some operations, who's working for them, because honestly, the community has a lot of concerns about the program.

Um people being hired that are getting back in trouble, you know, how the money is being used with you know, the youth.

So and I know that's not you.

You're just sort of doing that.

Yeah, so we so this is this everybody understand the mayor's officers reduced gun violence.

We manage the contract, so we oversee.

Um, but part of that is that even with this program, and we have tested it over the last six months.

So if for organizations interviews individuals to work for them, credible messengers or whatever it may be, the second interview would be with us along with the district attorney, along with Syracuse Police Department, which we have uh a few detectives that sit in on the interview.

Um our um attorney general our our one of our district attorneys, Joe Cooligan sits in on the interviews.

So they are questioned about their you know their current status and are they involved in street and and we get a few approvals.

So not just from our office but from SPD and also from the district attorney's office.

So that's our process um which takes longer, but then we don't get into the trouble that we've seen in the past.

So that's how we're dealing with that process.

That's you guys, but not the outside agency.

They have no the outside agency, if they're gonna contract with the city of Syracuse, they they will have to interview go through that process.

That's for everybody.

Everybody has to that everybody that they hire moving forward.

We'll have to come through our interview process too.

So even though if they interview them, that does not mean they're hired with the city of Syracuse.

Now they can have contracts with the county or wherever else they're going, but far as the city of Syracuse, they would have to have a second interview where we would bet them.

So they can't hire.

So any organization can't just hire someone and begin to working, working on a contract with the city of Syracuse.

They would have to go through a second interview process.

Again, that's with SPD and the district attorney's office uh and also some of our other uh partners.

I think another thing to build a little bit on what Councillor Could be saying is that we wanted to ensure that these two agencies feel strong enough with the capacity they have to do to then absorb another two and more work from other agencies that couldn't do the work.

Correct.

So that that's another, you know, kind of red flag.

Okay, so we just wanted to hear from them that to make sure that they're they feel that they can actually do this.

Yeah, I I agree.

And I just but I wanted to give you that up front to know you know our part and it is managing, and the last thing I'll say before you bring them up, uh this grant was written in or the RFP to the federal government in summer of 2022.

So that's how long ago it's been.

Um and those these agencies were already in it prior to the.

I remember that.

So then moving just so you have an idea when we look at context and historical context of uh why these organizations are here.

Before you bring them up, have you had any?

Do we know, and Jana, you might be able to help with this one.

Um this grant is over in a couple months, right?

So we're just in on this couple, yeah.

Any chance these could have an extension?

It's already extension.

We are in the process of asking for an extension, and we haven't heard from USDOJ yet.

So we're we're hoping to have another.

So my concern is once this is moved over, and we're doing this, and I was one of my concerns all along, and I've been saying it from day one.

How are we gonna sustain?

How are they gonna continue to be able to do that's you?

Um thank you, Counselor Stephanie Pasqual, Chief Strategy Officer of the City of Syracuse.

Um, excellent question.

I think what we're trying to do is demonstrate, use this time to demonstrate the impact and efficacy of this work, and then we're hopeful that there are additional resources available.

So we're deeply committed to, and and I know research is deeply committed to finding these resources that we can continue.

The extension will definitely help.

And I just wanted to remind you all that um this is as you know, a federal grant.

It's incredibly strict in terms of what we're able to pay for, um, and voucher for all of all of this work and why it was a struggle for smaller organizations to administer, is you have to outlay the funds, submit the voucher to us, we submit it to get paid.

So the federal government has to say all of these things are you know eligible expenses.

So it is a reimbursement grant that has pretty strict um guidelines.

So I don't know if that gives you some comfort in terms of um how the funds are spent and that there is that sort of double duty compliance from research and then compliance from the federal government.

I we know that the reimbursement, because this has been a long going thing.

The biggest concern is you hire people, you start a program with kids and the expectation, and then come September, it's gone.

And then where's the money coming from?

Because there's no money in the budget here.

So I'm trying to figure out where, how do we you know I mean, it just that's the that'd be my whole thing because September would be here a couple months.

So I don't know that's that's a it's incredibly relevant, important question.

We are hopeful that again to sort of demonstrate a new strategy and to build the capacity in these organizations to be able to show that yes, this particular set of individuals providing that intensive service, particularly through the summer months.

Um, and that we're we're um hopeful to get an extension um because the you know, these these resources hopefully can stretch a bit, and that would give us a little more time to find um additional resources to support this program.

Are we in an extension right now?

We are okay.

They've been on extension.

Okay.

So I think this program is incredibly important in our community and certainly needed.

Um I do have some questions about the um process of what you do when you when you take um a young person in and what happens, because I have talked to um one young man who just turned 18 um and is looking now for help with a job, and he felt like he kind of got dropped halfway through.

So I want to know what the process is, what you're doing um with people when you do an intake, um, how you follow up with them.

Um, you know, he was promised that he would get help getting an ID and all this other stuff that that never came to fruition.

And um, so I just want to know what is the process, how do you follow up with people?

How long do you follow up with people, and what happens if someone feels like they've been dropped?

Yeah, and then how do you get them back into the fold?

Okay because this is definitely uh a young person I would consider at risk, young guy who um has a girlfriend underage that had a child they had a child together, and um, you know, he's trying his best to try to get a job and do what's right, but it'd be very tempting for him to go back to the old ways that are easier in some ways.

Um so that's I'd like to hear a little bit about what it is you're doing, how you're doing follow-ups and all of that stuff.

So yeah, so what I'll do, I'll start off with the process of what we do at our office, and then what I will ask is that our organization come in and explain what they do.

So we do what's called focus deterrence.

So we work with the high risk individual, high risk individual.

Um we receive names from Syracuse Police Department, which call which is called the core list.

So these are like 32 individuals that have been involved with gun violence.

Some have not even been shot a firearm, but they have used a firearm or have been in a car with a firearm or have been shot.

So some are victims to gun violence.

Uh those 32 individuals, we go out with SPD and probation.

And that's what SPD with two police officers, myself, and sometimes a probation officer, and we go and talk to them about some of the things they've been doing.

What I'll do is um gonna ask if we can just probably possibly make some copies of the letter that we give out to the um adults and juveniles.

So yeah, thank you.

And I have um here.

I got enough for Juvenile.

Yeah, yep.

Um so we the process is both uh the same.

Juveniles and with the adults again, this is high risk.

So when we talk about focused deterrence, we're working with the high risk in the individual that is the driver of gun violence.

So a 14-year-old does not start just picking up a gun or someone's older that is introducing these things to the individual.

So from here, I give at least two days.

So I received a call yesterday uh from individuals that I met with at probation last Thursday.

I give them about a week to call me and then we'll connect them with the programs that we're contracted with as a city of Syracuse.

So now, and what I do after that, I would meet with the individual or the organization weeks to come to find out if there is any any you know issue where they're not uh getting addresses or they're they're the person is not uh following through on their side.

Um so we would talk about that.

Now, also, and last thing I'll say before we bring up the organizations, we have a data analyst.

So if any individual um is working with organization, that organization has to fill out the data forms, which is a problem in our community with most organizations.

They don't fill out data forms somehow, they don't think that's important.

But the only way we know what's going on if they fill out those forms, which are important because we capture that data and find out if someone is falling through the cracks, how many and what we need to do.

Um, and then we'll also meet bi weekly with the organizations to see if they're having trouble with individuals or if individuals are not showing up uh to programming and things like that.

So from the city, that's our our duties.

So who's responsible for the ultimate report?

So they report to you and you do to the federal government.

How does that work?

So that will start with us.

That will start with Patrice, um, who's here Williams, that's our data analyst.

She would capture all the data and then we either uh meet with um Janet's office to go over and then they'll report it to the federal government.

They have questions that they they have for us that we do.

So at this time at this time, it would either one of you uh Southwest or Good Life want to come up and explain what happens after we hand off the individuals to you.

Oh, before you guys can come, come on.

I just which why he's coming.

How many total between both organizations?

Uh yes.

So about about 12 to 15, because we also snug has also some that they work with.

We're not contracted with Snug, but Snug has a work with they work with SPD.

So they have some of those individuals also.

When they started off, this Snug was taking on majority of these individuals at 32.

But since we've partnered with SPD, we take on probably about 20, 25 individuals.

Snug has the rest.

So between 30 kids, I'd say each organization is 15 kids.

And they break that up into two individuals.

Each organization should have two uh outreach workers.

And outreach workers, two outreach workers.

So each organization has seven kids that they're working with.

Yeah.

And these are and so we we have given Southwest maybe four juvenile.

So the rest aren't kids.

They're nine, 18, 19, 21 kids to us, but literally adults.

Um there with good life and with Southwest, but we have about four or five youth that work with Southwest because we have an individual over there that works and he really does well with the juvenile population.

I think, and it's no um not anything to you, um Pastor Latif.

I know you're I I'm in with meetings with you and we talk all the time.

I'm just a little irritated by the money that is spent for only 30 kids.

We're spending 500, 600,000 for 30 kids, and truth to be told, the numbers are still right, and some of these kids ever citizen.

No, nothing against you guys.

Has nothing to do with the organization, has to do with how we're spending money on the situation.

So I'm I'm just putting that out there.

Yeah, and it has nothing to do with the organization.

And I think again, being a federal grant, that's you know what they've sent down in you know, in 2022 under um US Senate, they're the one that came up with the Department of Justice grant and expansion of outreach and programming.

And this is where I spur the grant uh we wrote it.

What was the expectation in these numbers?

Yeah, I mean, so I think it was more so an expansion of what we were already doing.

So the grant was to expand on what we were doing.

Now, when we received the grant, our goal was to expand to the West side.

Remember, originally we were looking at going into areas, yeah, but now that we look at it's better for us to focus on people and not just areas because areas now in Syracuse, they change.

But there wasn't a specific number of people to be served.

That was under Safer Streets.

So that was a different grant.

That was under the ARPA ARPA funding, that million dollars, that was a pilot program.

So DOJ is a little different, which we we've made some changes, adjustments by by finding out what's going on with data and areas.

So it's not just really areas that we're dealing with now, you're really dealing with people, because it's the same people.

And they hop around.

And I'm glad you asked that because I'm looking at um good life, and it talks about the 20 young adults.

So I was just curious, does the cohorts change or do you stay with those those 20 young adults for the whole duration of the period of period?

Yeah, yeah.

And I think we're just just in terms of scope, 15 to 20, right?

So actually, I wanted to address both, so I'll answer your question.

It's all great questions.

Um sorry, can you say your name?

I'm sorry.

Uh Hassan Stevens, founder, CEO of the Good Life Youth Foundation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, honored a presenter before you guys.

Um, there's a national average uh uh or ratio, I should say, of one to eight, typically.

Um so when you're talking about like the the amount of dollars spent for the uh number of kids, we're talking about the highest risk youth population, and so higher needs.

Um so I can tell you some of the things that we'll be doing with them in terms of uh helping them find jobs, housing.

I can tell you this is almost like, and correct me if I'm wrong, almost like the some of the um services that were in Safer Streets being rolled into DOJ and having uh uh a really uh um wraparound for you know outreach to the community as well as in direct engagement with that population, but they're typically for high-risk youth of one to eight ratio is best, um, or what's recommended.

Um so as far as like um your question, um counselor was um can you just repeat that one more time?

What are we doing?

We have a cohort hoard of 20.

Yes.

Does that cohort ever change or does it stay focused on those 20?

Well, there's a number of different factors that determine whether or not we continue to work with them.

So it's it's a voluntary program.

So if a person is not engaging us, we we have we're doing what actually um Yolanda coined as relentless outreach, relentless engagement.

So we'll continuously reach out to that population to get them involved.

Um occasionally we get people that don't want to, you know, participate.

And my thought is probably they would replace those numbers with people that are interested.

But as far as the cohort, it's it's only for a certain number of months.

We would be working with them consistently, and the services that we're providing would take that that amount of time.

So we stay with them consistently to help them find jobs, housing, all of the different things that they would need to be sustainable.

Do some of them drop off the program like into the program, like let's say they've they've been with you for two months, let's say.

So um we have a process for outreach.

So a number of calls that we would have to ensure that we do before you know we say, well, we can't find this person, we would go show up at front doors, we would um you know, uh talk to people in the community to try to identify and locate people.

Um if a person doesn't want to be found, if a person doesn't want to participate, then that is a space that we can identify for another person who does want the services.

When you say you're helping people find jobs, are you um partnering with local uh businesses in the area, or is it just wherever you find?

We absolutely are.

So um just I can give you some of the the actual data and statistics from what we did with Safer Streets if if that's helpful.

Before you before you get into that, so it's individual, do you follow them if they're if they are in the program and continuing the program, for how long do you follow them or with them?

This program, and there was a question actually about continuation of this program.

Um this program currently we have what about six months to roll this out.

Um so our objective is to try to get this up and running, execute immediately.

Um we have a partnership with ICANN, which uh will allow us to identify Medicaid eligible um you know people so that we can potentially continue these services.

That's uh uh plan B that we would like uh internally that we're working on to try to continue these services, but our first goal is to see if there's additional funding.

They're trying to show the efficacy of this program so that they can continue on their end.

So we do have a plan B of of how we can try to we we don't want to hire anyone for six months and then cut it off.

Um we're looking to hire them and then replace that funding possibly through Medicaid.

And so we've already had those conversations, we've already signed the documents, and we're waiting for the opportunity to be able to do that.

Um we're hoping that the timing aligns.

So, what's considered a successful path of an individual?

Sure.

Uh person is referred to us, they are paired with a coach, uh, what we call lead coaches, lived experienced expert developer.

Uh that coach engages with them, builds relationships, identifies their needs in their life around um what we have.

We have a uh assessment around the eight dimensions of wellness and 40 developmental assets to just figure out what areas they would need.

Um we've been successful in the past in helping people get housing.

We've been successful in the past in helping people get employment.

Um and to answer your question, we do have partnerships.

We have a partnership with Wegmans.

Um of this is depending on age.

We have a direct partnership with CNY Works, where we're accessing we OA funds.

We're also accessing summer um um employment funds for these for these youth will be a little bit older, uh, these young adults, so we'd be accessing we OA funds and other funds to get them employment.

We also have a space where the partnership with CNY works allows us to actually hire people directly and employ them in our space while we're training them to go on for long-term uh employment in other places.

Uh we have an enterprise specialist that's internal that will help them create resumes, help them um do job searches, and also connect with external uh partners to find uh employment and actually walk them through and help them through with the application process.

And this is the 14 and 21 age group that you guys are talking about, right?

14 to 24.

Is there any way when you talk about the folks that you help get employment, the folks that you help get housing?

Is do you have the information?

I don't need the names, but do you have how many people that you've actually so we have we have data, we have names when we did Safe for Streets.

Um it was anonymous.

We we um decided as a program that we were not gonna share people's names, so they had individual identifiers.

I do have names.

I would prefer not to share the names.

I just want to know how many people were housed, how many more.

I can tell you, I can tell you some of that.

So 76% of the participants um that we had in Safer Streets did not re-offend.

Um 20 pro 20 of the participants out of 24 continued.

So we had four in terms of their attrition.

Um 12 out of those 24 uh were connected with mental health assessments.

They they they actually received mental health assessments.

Five out of them were were uh had just started.

Again, this is about the continuation program, just started to uh get engaged with mental health uh services.

Um we helped two out of the 20 that based on their need uh received housing.

One of them um was affected by a how uh uh a fire where the house was burned down, another one um was homeless, currently homeless, and we uh got them into a shelter and had got them stable housing.

Um, as far as employment, we had seven out of the 20 that were directly um receiving employment as a result of our efforts.

So some of them were already employed, but seven out of the 20 received employment as a as a um result of what we did.

Um 100% of them were registered with CNY works and had started the process of looking for employment, also.

So that was that was some of the data that we had with Safer Streets, and that we would continue that with the program that we have here.

And can I get that electronically?

Sure, absolutely.

And one thing that is different, if I can interject, is that I we go out, we do we deliver the letter, we have the address and the information.

So one of the issues with Safer Street was not knowing where individuals live, not getting in touch with them for weeks.

So now I'm I'm you know, myself, SPD pro partner with probation.

We have address, we have phone number, we know where individuals live.

So now when I hand them off to Good Life for Southwest, there's no lag time, you know, two, three, four weeks go by and we can't find individuals, you'll find the individuals right away because we're telling you where they are, and we've already spoken to them.

So that kind of cuts down on that piece.

The other piece is the check-in to constantly check in with the organizations and see where they are and how are they doing with the individuals, and if there is an issue, as you said, councilwoman, that we can jump in and try to figure out what's going on.

Some of it is um having the relentless engagement, but then in the the small percentage that kind of this won't engage.

And if I don't know if Hassan, if you want to speak a little bit about the the individuals that don't engage and how you guys go after those individuals to help them.

Well, part of the um uh two twofold.

Um, one of the questions was about the um process early on in terms of hiring.

Aside from the um the uh um vetting process that the city has, we have our own vetting process as well internally.

Um we have a model called Lee Lived Experience Expert Development, it's actually being studied by the state right now.

We don't employ anyone that has just gotten out of prison.

Need at least a two-year window before there's a number a series of other um vetting processes that we um follow to make sure that we're getting the right people in the last five years.

Um, zero of our um participants and and employees have been in um involved with the law.

Um so when we identify those people, we're we're still identifying people that are connected to the community that are familiar with the community um and are well known.

And so for the those that are maybe hesitant or or have some apprehension about being a part of the the program, um we asked them to leverage their personal relationships to actually speak to the people and and explain to them how it has benefited others, how it has benefited, you know, how they've been benefited uh by being a part of the organization and leverage the community network to try to get these people to be a part of it to participate.

Of course, we don't control that, it is voluntary, and there are some people that just don't maybe they're not at the point or ready to be helped.

Um, and we just keep them on a list until maybe they are are ready to do so.

We have the other organization here as well, Southwest Center.

So your line of seekers is here if you want to got any.

So what happens to like the other parts city in the collaboration?

How does that work?

So we've challenged Good Life and Southwest, they're gonna have to work on every side of town now.

Right, so it's no no one side no more.

Everybody has to have influence everywhere, and that's why it's important to hire individuals that can and and been out long enough that they're not going down in the bricks and getting shot at because they just did something two years a year ago, you know what I mean?

So making sure individuals are truly credible that they're not playing both sides of the fence um because they're gonna have to work, yeah.

They're gonna have to be able to but again, that's where SPD comes in, they they've partnered with our office to make sure individuals they're gonna know, and we've had it already where individuals have they didn't make to the interview because automatically said no, you've been you still outside.

You were in shots fired six months ago.

Are you applying for a job to do the work?

Because that that puts you in danger and also the staff in danger.

So to answer your question, councilwoman, we're looking to expand to every side of town.

So the challenge for every organization, you have to be able to hire people that are multifaceted working.

Yeah.

When you're talking about expansion, so say you have 20, but you're called to go up on the east side and tackle another group of four.

How does that equate on your numbers?

So again, I think is the focus deterrence model.

So if I'm working with, we have 32 individuals.

Those 32 individuals are in contact with how many people in their different areas.

So that's why we're going for the high highest risk.

So if we have an individual that's from the east side, uh Hassan or good life is not just gonna work with that one individual, that one individual impacts many on that one side of town.

Um either is not just the the one touch anymore, is that if I'm working with person A that lives that's from the East Side, he's in contact with 10 to 20 other individuals.

So if I can pull him out of the equation, that changes uh the game.

And I'll let Hassan speak that.

Yeah, go ahead.

Um, so we have the part of our model, we have never been relegated to a single part of town.

So when we hire part of our interview process is always to make sure that we hire people that can go anywhere at any given time.

Um currently, we have an internal uh system for how we deal with conflict.

So we have programming divided, we have times where we can only have the east side there, where we can only have the south side there, but we also have restorative practice in between where we're trying to bring them together so that we can eliminate that, and that's done through the identity and affiliation with the organization.

So we've we have always worked on all of our youth uh come from various sides of town.

We're familiar with that, and we have always had a system for how we actually engage, program, and work with them without um seeing any conflict.

We've also mitigated conflict between um various groups from different sides of town as well.

So we're we're familiar with it.

Uh Latif, before Southwest come up, um what is I'm looking I'm looking because I don't have my other paper.

What is the total budget that we're moving over?

Totally.

Like because we're splitting it between good life and Southwest.

What is the total amount we're moving?

Okay, okay.

Steph, do you know that or do you need to?

Anisa.

I'm gonna have Anisa come up.

No, from the yeah, from the field so we know what.

Um we could just know the total amount that we're moving over.

Oh, you want to know how much we're sliding over totally.

Yeah, just so we're getting a new budget, but we don't know exactly what was totally moved um unbelievable, right?

Because we're taking some, we're taking their contract and moving it over.

Yeah, so give your original the original budget for each organization, and then on, and I don't know, did you guys get the PowerPoint presentation?

No, no.

Yeah, so this is the we got it.

Okay.

This is the ad from your original budget.

Yeah.

So um, and I'm gonna see if we can get so you guys didn't get a copy of this.

Nope.

Yeah, I want to we only yeah.

So you want to give me a make a copy?

Say that again.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mir.

And then you have say that again.

That's just the one page, it's that's better.

Yeah, yeah.

And so we'll we'll we'll come back to that.

Yep, that's fine.

Yeah, we can, yeah.

It's an honor to speak in front of you all.

Um, I don't know if you want me to ask the answer to previous questions, or you want to um give me additional questions.

Could you could you say your name first?

My name's Yolanda Seegers.

I'm the program manager over Southwest Community Center DOJ project.

Um, tell them the name of your program though.

My program that I currently work with, Project Rise, and we serve um with Project Rise, we serve similar population, um, but for 13 to 17 year olds.

So you're Project Rise is 13 and 17.

Yeah, but Project Rise and Southwest are two totally different programs, but we still work with um Mayor's Office Against Gun Violence to support the 14 to 24 year olds, where we're um hiring, well, have hired um one credible messenger who's working with the younger population, as well as um he will also work with some of the 18 to 24 year olds.

So his um caseload will probably be more like nine versus um the eight, seven to eight, as well as we hired another credible messenger who will only focus on 18 and 19.

I mean 18 to 24, but then also having a community engagement specialist who's going to have different events that will be for the whole community on different sides of town, um, based on some of the um data that we that's been shared with us where the problem areas are, so really focusing on the target areas and bringing different events such as resource fares, things um that families can learn about the system because Lati did speak about the fact that all it's some of these services for the 13 to um 17 year olds are volunteering, and that's because they're not required to do um these services.

So it does take a special strategy in order to keep them engaged and want them to be engaged.

And so being able to teach to the credible messengers some of those strategies, but also um teach um be able to monitor those strategies that they're implementing.

And so we do that every week where they're having supervision, because that's important because that's how you can monitor some of their behaviors if they're having any in the community, but also going over the data for that week so we can prepare when we are having our meetings um with their office in order to progress monitor and support, you know, sustainable change because this is a short-term process.

And so that's my biggest I'ma beyond this.

Like, so with this budget, this is the budget that these are people, all new people you're hiring, um, Londa.

Yes, that's all the people that we're hiring.

To start now to start now this grant to do for six months to have an expectation that is almost like well, the expectation fire is six months.

As we know, for even adults, it's about two to three weeks to create change.

So then now if we're looking at someone who's been doing some of the things that they've been doing for a long term, um, it will take a good about six weeks to continuously work with them.

So the reality is it's not just us.

We're gonna leverage the community that we're already paying to do certain things.

So, for example, someone acts about partnership, um, partnering with an EOC based on some of the work that they have, as well as the um stipends that they're giving out for the 18 to 24 year olds, we're gonna help with sustaining them in careers through them, as well as academic opportunity.

But far as one-on-one support, a lot of the individuals are currently on probation, so that's not going to end either.

So we are also working with probation to see what their requirements are as well as their goals, so they'll still have the support of probation to maneuver through that system as well, because we're communicating with them often as well.

So unfortunately, if this is a short-term grant, but they are they are writing for other opportunities as far as with the DOJ, they are doing the um Syracuse 360 model, which again will support some of this work, and there have been at least about four new grants that came out.

So people are still writing, it's just if we get approved.

But if we're not, we still have to figure out a way with them based on their youth-led goals, their family-driven goals to support sustainability.

And you touched on something that that I was thinking in my head, and this is for you and for good life, basically.

When you're talking about these 13 to what, 24-year-olds, right?

Isn't I say right?

When you're talking about them and you bring them into the phone and you get them under control, where does the family I know that it's a short-term program, but where does the family come into this?

Because you're actually gonna send them right back into that same environment.

So that's where LIPA comes in at Mayor's um mothers against gun violence.

She is going to be providing um community-based um cognitive behavior therapy um group circles for the families, but also providing um different activities for those families.

But what's awesome is that for the 13 at least 17-year-old, we all already have family supports uh outside of these organizations that we can connect with deeper than one particular organization.

And so, for example, if we have a 14-year-old family who needs support, um, we normally connect with Access, which is a program that's connected through the county that will also support the family and have a a lot of different services.

So it's really looking at each end of a c individual case and creating a planning, a plan with them, but also talking to the family and talking, asking them what they need as well, and connecting them to services as well.

So, for example, that happens during our strategy building set sessions.

Yesterday I said to one of the credible messengers, you need to have an isolated conversation with the mom to see what she needs because she's the one that experiencing this kid and been experiencing him for a while doing these behaviors.

So let's see what she needs.

And then we support with connecting that family as well to services.

So it's not just the kid because we want sustainable change.

Right, because that kid is again going right back into that same thing.

And in this with this screen on your you guys are already servicing these kids, right?

Project Rice, I'm already servicing kids, but yes, we just received four names, and um they have been working with those four names already.

So this screen is just for four kids.

No, it will increase.

We will continue on getting names of youth.

No, but 14 to okay, so um, I said it and I'm gonna say it again.

It's not the fact it has really nothing to do with the programs, has the fact that we're putting people in hunger games, right?

And we have a hundred and twenty thousand, a hundred and three for increase for Syracuse connections and another 73,000 increase for good life, right?

And we're expecting to spend it in six months, and we came up with a and I've had to, I I totally understand the number game, right?

And I understand putting things in a line, but it appears to me that it could it could have been maybe thought about it in a different way, right?

Um, I just don't see I don't have the the biggest thing to me is I don't have what the budget looked like before the versus what it is now.

So now I got what you want to do, but I don't have the previous budget.

No, the breakdown.

Oh, the breakdown.

What bracket, which one?

One here.

It says original budget.

No, no, but the breakdown.

So, like this here has executive director, it has a job description of how it was broken down.

This just gives us numbers.

Yeah, because like right now we know what you play.

Or what we was presented from the beginning versus what's different now in the group, and that that's important to compare what is really being changed and what's numbers, because right now I just have what you want to move and what do you plan on doing, but I don't know what it originally was because we don't have any comparison, and there was nothing here to show that.

I know.

Yeah, so the original would have been in from 2024, that legislation that's so it should be on file, like and I think that's what the clerk is saying.

We should have a copy of that somewhere, because in 2024, when we came to y'all that that had that original budget on there.

So what I'm saying is, like, for instance, Syracuse Community Connections, they're getting an extra hundred and three thousand.

How was this broken down extra?

Did the outreach workers get more?

Did you create a new one?

Yeah, that backdown is in there.

Yep.

Where it's on this page here, these pic these pages here.

You have good lives and you have Southwest.

So you have Syracuse Community Connection budget on this paper.

No, no, no.

It's a breakdown.

The previous.

Yeah.

This is the new explain like first for Southwest.

Tell me what you just tell me what you changed on.

Right.

So what I changed was because of start off with the outreach.

For the outreach workers, they did have an increase.

Okay.

Um, and they were previously, I believe they were at 25,000.

Um at the time.

Now you got an extra 25,000.

Yes.

Okay.

Um, because they were part-time through Southwest.

Okay.

Um, the engagement specialist was not there previously.

So you recently created out.

We created a um position and the engagement specialist is the one that will do the community work as well as um increase some community resources for the um outreach workers.

So okay.

So we're going to be able to do that.

Um we increased the time um for the chief operating officer as well.

She was only at about 1,000 and something dollars.

I increased her time because I am um contracted in and I'll be part-time.

Okay.

Yeah.

And um, so French benefits, of course, went up because of the fact that the um full-time salaries went up.

So you see me as the contractor, and then um the mayor's off on that mothers against gun violence, that's um LIPA's contract and salary, which was not there previously.

So the first on the program manager and um LIPA's position, um, the program manager was four thousand dollars previously, because it was a shared position for Snug.

So now it's twelve, so it used to be four thousand.

Yes, because it was a shared position um for someone else through the SNUG department.

Okay, and um participant engagement and support, that was increased as well, and that um that's support um for basic needs, things that they may need in order to do so.

What was it before?

It was around I believe two thousand two twenty three hundred.

I'm sorry, I can't remember offhand.

It was there, but it wasn't at that cost.

Okay.

Um and the engagement cost for LIPA wasn't there either, so that's the 5,000, so that's automatically the supply line was not there.

No, okay, and the community engagement activities that was also in increase.

And then the admin fee of the case.

And the admin fee increased because the money increased.

Okay.

And so the community engagement um fee didn't go up that much because we knew we had Leapah there who also will be doing um community engagement opportunities.

So it should be a partner and some partnership and reciprocity going on between all of them.

For example, the outreach workers should be getting their participants to this and families to these events, and it's an expectation based on the objectives, as well as LIPA should be referring some of her families to these events as well.

So then now it's just creating a nice definition, but also uh joint support.

So you just put two outreach, you made to continue their work, you made them full-time.

I see that.

Yes.

And then the part-time engagement specialist, you created this person.

In order to do um, based on the CVI model and focus to Terence, you need to have community outreach, and you need to um really speak into the fact of this can't be sustained without the community support.

And we don't have expertise in all the areas.

So making sure that as far as that ecosystem paper that we see that I shared with you all, making sure we have partnerships with each one of those spaces.

So then now we can connect the families as well as the participants to each one of those spaces.

So we will need some support.

We're getting us all together, having events together, but also being able to have that visibility so our community can get to know people and um at that time.

So, okay, I just have a problem with creating a position for six months, but that's I mean, that's fine.

And then Chief Operator, okay.

So the breakdown, that's important.

Yeah so we can see, because I don't know what it was before based on what was changed and why it was changed.

I just know when it's time to it takes time to meet families and build relationships.

Absolutely.

And when you create something or you bring somebody in, it takes months before people really trust you, especially young kids.

They they don't, they don't they don't want to deal with you like that.

And that's why we have the partnership.

So a lot of people, when we get these names, a lot of these organizations have already worked with a lot of these kids already as well.

And so it's important to understand how are we gonna champion the work that's being done, but also what's being expected.

So at times we might not be the first form of contact.

We might have to um rely on our partners to do a soft handoff to support that introduction.

But all these events aren't closed off just to the DOJ people either.

This these are gonna be community events so other people can attend.

So that's the hope is really to provide sustainability, they can't focus on an organization.

We have to support with cognitive shifts with them so they'll be able to do this with or without us.

So one correction though, the the part-time engagement specialist was actually the main position prior.

So prior, we didn't we didn't work with individuals, so it wasn't created.

The part-time engagement specialist was not a position that was created, that was actually the original position.

So the original grant, that person was part-time, and they were to do outreach in those areas.

So we just pushed them down because we wanted to work with individuals instead of just working with just the area.

So that position was not created, that position was there.

That was a good idea.

It was already the position.

My bad, I'm sorry.

But that's good to have a breakdown.

Um, as well as I would actually, like I asked um Hassan, Mr.

Stevens.

How Ronda, do you plan on?

This is over, this is over August.

I look at it August, because September hit to be here, August is right around the corner.

How are you planning on like this is a lot?

How do you plan on keeping these kids but also getting money to make this happen?

Like, where is that coming from?

No, moving forward.

What is the plan?

Again, if we're currently writing for grants already through the Syracuse 360 model, but again, grants aren't sustainable.

So the reality is is these partnerships with people that are they do have longevity far as the monies that they have is creating those partnerships with those people, so we're not leaving these people, these young people high and dry.

Because um grants aren't promised.

No, and that's what both of you guys said.

So that's my biggest thing.

I always say that like I know it's important.

First of all, you know, I feel about the youth.

I'm not necessarily going home on, I'm be honest.

I feel like my babies who just want to be great and outside don't get enough attention, but that's a whole nother conversation on another committee day.

But I just worry about this, and I said it when two years ago, as we do this, we have to be prepared for what's next.

Like, how do we sustain it?

How do you guys not have to be in a hunger game?

Because right now y'all on the hunger game.

It's like, all right, let me figure this out.

I've been there, I know how this works.

What's next?

How are you guys gonna be able to once you start this?

Because it takes months to get that kid and bring them in, and now that you got them, and then in August, when the money not there, you're not gonna be able to keep these people full time and have time.

You're gonna have to move, which changes the whole outcome of what's going on with the kids.

So that'd be my biggest thing.

Like once we start something, what's the plan?

And we and it's it's written out in the um scope of work that I um shared, because again, you're right.

We don't want to put peg people against each other.

So that's why collaborative support is so important.

There are organizations, there are count there, there are things that are being provided by the county that can support all of these youth, all of these young adults.

But it's having the knowledge of the resources.

Syracuse is resource rich but coordination poor.

So part of the things that we are doing is supporting the coordination effort to make sure that we're utilizing what's available, building relationships with who can continue on providing that long-term support so they're not left high and dry.

So really focusing on leveraging what we already are paying for, so then we can utilize that fund, but also um writing for other grants and or and to create other opportunities for these families.

And if I could jump in, that's why we have those monthly meetings.

Uh every Thursday, we're meeting with from uh the county coalition, community faith-based coalition, uh, the outreach workers.

We're gonna create begin that next month where we're meeting with the outreach workers, and that won't stop.

I think the the continuity and bringing individuals together that's doing the work that helps us stay together, keep communicating.

Hey, my grant uh cycle is over, but I can hand that kit off as Julana said it's handing those kids off to someone else to continue working with them.

And and again, Yolana, I'm gonna echo what she's saying.

These are the same kids we've been working with for the last 10, 15 years.

They've been in programming and we'll just continue to support them any way we can.

That's a part of our office job, part of um Yolanda's challenge and her position as to how we figure ways out to continue to support families and these these young people.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Did you want to go over any other budget?

Do you have good life's budget or are you all set?

I think we're good.

We're good.

Only thing I would request that probably will help out the other counsel if I don't know if our clerk, but we could get the budget of what it was before versus what it is now.

Um let's just keep having these conversations to find out what's next.

Like what's the plan, what is being written, what's happening next, how we can expand this to not just children that are in trouble, but all of my babies, because I'm gonna yell and scream that out all day long.

I need everybody.

We spend millions of dollars on the Department of Juvenile Justice when it should just be because.

And I'm gonna say it and all the people that hear me, and I'm gonna keep saying it could be should you just because they're kids.

So um, yeah, let's keep having these conversations, just get that budget to us.

I think it will help the other ones because of their questions.

Some of people are sick and stuff.

So a line by line budget.

Yeah, line by line.

So they can see it, they just need to see it.

Okay.

Do anybody have any questions for us or any concerns, anything?

Janet, did they give you all the help you need over there to write these grants?

Because that's a lot.

It really is.

You need some more people.

Hey Steph, she needs some summer SU people to help write her some grants this summer.

Because that's a lot.

You know, maybe we can get some help to get some grants, but I have no other questions.

Oh, we're all set.

Yeah, all right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You need to join.

Thank you.

Yeah.