Street Outreach

Founded in 1996 with support from a Federal Runaway and Homeless Youth Act Grant, the Street Outreach Program provides education, prevention and support services to reduce the incidence of sexual abuse of runaway, throwaway and homeless youths. CPPA's Outreach Team targets youth on the streets and offers a range of services, including crisis intervention,transportation to shelter and food. Reaching out to homeless youths helps establish trust and encourages them to take the steps necessary to improve their lives.

The article that follows is reprinted from the Summer 2004 edition of InsideOut, CPPA's quarterly newsletter.

Reaching Out to Youth

CPPA has been described as "a quiet giant" for adolescents, but its Street Outreach Program and Youth Drop-in Center are doing everything they can to make some noise. The Street Outreach Program was founded in 1996 with funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services. By bringing CPPA's services to youth in the streets, Street Outreach soon became a key component of the comprehensive services offered to homeless and runaway youth by the Youth Services Bureau: emergency shelter at Safe House, transitional living assistance at Opportunity House and a collection of supportive services, including counseling, case management and life skills training.

Street Outreach Workers operate from the well-marked CPPA van to visit sites frequented by youth throughout San Joaquin County. Their goal is to inform youth of the services available to them at CPPA and to help youth leave the perils of street life for safer and more stable environments. Outreach Workers offer crisis counseling, educational information about the health risks of street life and referrals to agencies, including CPPA, that offer help. They help youth with their immediate needs as well, providing snacks, beverages and hygiene products to the youth they encounter.

On a typical day, the Outreach Team starts at the CPPA office, completing the paperwork that documents their efforts and checking in with members of the youth services staff and youth in the residences. Then they take to the streets, first visiting parks and other "scheduled" locations and then investigating the places where wandering youth might be.

Contacts Make a Difference

In the month of June alone the Street Outreach Team documented 425 contacts. They spoke with youth and they spoke with friends, parents and family members of youth who might need help. All those contacts make a difference. In June at least two Safe House residents found out about the program directly from folks who had talked to Outreach Workers.

Dozens of others hear about CPPA because Outreach has "put the word out." In addition to talking with youth, Outreach Workers make sure that service providers and law enforcement officers know about CPPA's services. Youth Outreach Worker Brett Davis comments, "All the Stockton Police Department officers know about CPPA," and, in fact,local police officers regularly refer youth to CPPA. CPPA's services are tailored to the needs of homeless and runaway youth, but, as Brett points out, "We're for all the kids." Street Outreach intervenes to assist street youth find safe alternatives and also offers services and support to any youth who may be at risk.

Daytime Drop-in

The Youth Drop-in Center at CPPA acts as a bridge for youth. Street youth who aren't ready for a residential program take advantage of "no strings attached" services and youth who have completed residential programs stay in touch for aftercare services at the Center. For many youth, CPPA's Drop-in Center is the only place they can count on for a hot meal. They come for the food, but stay to use shower and laundry facilities, case management and counseling, life skills instruction and recreational activities.

One youth, the father of one child and expecting the second, said he visited the Drop-in Center to get the free food and do laundry. He took a nice new baby blanket home with him when he left. The young mother of a two-year old daughter was happy to get a new blanket too. She uses the Center's case management services for help with her case worker at social services and to take care of business with the Department of Motor Vehicles. She appreciates the assistance and feels like she gets faster results with her case manager's help.