Thursday, December 3^rd

Behind the Mask: Ex-Gang Leader Teams With Nonprofit to Help Youth

"Mr. X," a former high-level local gang leader who conceals his identity behind a white plastic hockey mask, is an unlikely public spokesman for gang prevention in Prince George's County.

He declines to reveal his name, age, where he lives or what high school he attended; that information, he says, could lead former gang associates with a grudge to him or his family.

But by wearing the mask, he says he can speak freely about life in a gang from a perspective most anti-gang advocates lack. Read More

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Streetworkers Mediate Gang Violence and Connect Teens to Health Services in Lowell, MA

From 2003 to 2007, the United Teen Equality Center hired two outreach workers who worked with members of seven of the most active Southeast Asian youth gangs in Lowell, Mass., to reduce violence and improve teens' access to health care. These outreach workers – who the center calls streetworkers – mediated conflicts between gangs, sponsored events and activities to promote peace and coordinated with the police and other partners to address gang violence. To increase the use of health services, streetworkers connected teenagers with community health organizations. The center also sponsored a health fair and health workshops. Read More

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Dr. Michael A. Carrera

He has implemented 50 teen pregnancy prevention programs in more than 20 states.

Dr. Michael A. Carrera is Thomas Hunter Professor Emeritus of Health Sciences at Hunter College of the City University of New York, and Adjunct Professor of Community Medicine at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. He began his teaching career in l959 at a Junior High School in the Bronx. Since 1970 Dr. Carrera has directed the Adolescent Sexuality and Pregnancy Prevention Programs for The Children's Aid Society in New York. Read More

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Application Information Center for Substance Abuse Treatment

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2010 grants for the Offender Reentry Program (hereafter referred to as ORP). The purpose of this program is to expand and/or enhance substance abuse treatment and related recovery and reentry services to sentenced juvenile and adult offenders returning to the community from incarceration for criminal/juvenile offenses. Applicants are expected to form stakeholder partnerships that will plan, develop and provide a transition from incarceration to community-based substance abuse treatment and related reentry services for the populations of focus. Because reentry transition must begin in the correctional or juvenile facility before release, limited funding may be used for certain activities in institutional correctional settings in addition to the expected community-based services (see Section I-2.3 - Allowable Activities in Institutional Correctional Settings). Details

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