Left In Lowell

If you want to point out a major factor in reducing gang presence more than a decade ago in Lowell, you have only to point to the teens themselves, and the United Teen Equality Center. And now their “Streetworker” program is getting national recognition because of a study being published by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

From UTEC’s press release:

The study’s interviews with UTEC staff and local community groups found five major contributing factors to UTEC’s success in the SW program: involvement of youth in hiring SWs; investment in quality training for the SWs; providing SWs with a comprehensive benefits package and team retreats to prevent staff turnover and burnout; establishment of community partnerships; and incorporation of peacemaking into outreach.

“These features should be considered both by communities with existing street outreach worker programs and by communities in the process of establishing one, as they have demonstrated importance for both program success and sustainability,” said Shannon Frattaroli, PhD, MPH, assistant professor with the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and the paper’s lead author.

Congrats to an excellent community group on the getting the recognition it deserves. We know it works; now the rest of the nation’s cities can learn from UTEC.