ALAMEDA COUNTY VIOLENCE PREVENTION ADVISORY BOARD:
JANUARY 15, 2004 MEETING SUMMARY

Participants: Dean Chambers, Valerie Street, London Wright, Mario Robinson, Supervisor Nate Miley, Darryl Stewart, Deane Calhoun, Anna Chu, Nina Ramsey, Lisa Hardy, Paul Leornard, Sara Bedford, Andrea Youngdahl, Tim Sbranti, Lucas Daumont, Seth Kaplan, Arnold Perkins, Gary Thompson, Sandra Witt, Mike Wallace, Judy Goff, Dale Amaral, Bill Riley, Steve Walsh, Orval Badger, Don Blevins, David Kears, Junious Williams, Saundra Andrews

Facilitators: Larry Cohen, Howard Pinderhughes, Rachel Davis, Colleen Floyd-Carroll, Jessica Gould

The Alameda County Violence Prevention Advisory Board held its second phase II meeting on January 15, 2004. During this meeting, Advisory Board members reviewed the violence prevention planning process and accomplishments to date. This included a review of the 3 Keys to Violence Prevention (the violence prevention framework the Core Group has been utilizing), as well as an overview of the Spectrum of Prevention (a tool that is utilized in multifaceted prevention strategies). Additionally, Advisory Board members reviewed the roles and responsibilities of both the Advisory Board and Core Group. Advisory Board roles and responsibilities are as follows: attend all 3 meetings in phase II, provide input on the project at meetings and to the core group, critique draft strategy, share the potential of the project with other community representatives, and implement recommendations. Advisory Board members also reviewed the list of priority risk/resilience factors delineated by the Core Group. These factors are listed in the table below:

RISK FACTORS	RESILIENCE FACTORS
Poverty/Lack of Jobs/Lack of Career Paths (12)	Economic Capital (13)
Illiteracy/School Failure/Academic Failure/ Truancy (11)	Meaningful Opportunities for Participation (12)
Alcohol and other drugs (9)	Positive Attachments and Relationships (12)
Firearms (8)	Good Physical and Mental Health (8)
Family Dynamics (7)	Social Capital (6)
Incarceration/ Re-entry (6)	Built Environment (4)
Community Deterioration (6)	Services and Institutions (4)
Discrimination and Oppression (5)	Emotional/Cognitive Competence (4)
Media Violence (5)	Artistic and Creative Opportunities (3)
Witnessing and Experiencing Violence (4)	Ethnic, Racial, and Intergroup Relations (1)
	Media/ Marketing (1)

Risk/Resilience Factors Across the Spectrum of Prevention: After reviewing the Core Group's effort of applying the resilience factor "economic capital" to the Spectrum, the Advisory Board applied the Spectrum to the identified risk and resilience factors prioritized by the Core Group in order to delineate specific activities that could be utilized to address these risk/resilience factors. Advisory Board members applied two risk factors (illiteracy/academic and school failure and alcohol/other drugs) and two resilience factors (meaningful opportunities for participation and positive attachments/relationships) to the Spectrum of Prevention. Each group delineated activities that would minimize the risk factor or maximize the resilience factor and could be included as part of an overall violence prevention strategy. The results of these working groups are as follows:

Risk Factor: Illiteracy/Academic Failure

Spectrum Level	Activities
Influencing Policy and Legislation	Empower parents to demand excellence; identify opportunities to provide funding for effective education; revamp the current educational structure; examine who is responsible for education
Changing Organizational Practices	Increase access to healthcare; increase school campus safety; implement culturally relevant/interesting curriculum; instate innovative programs such as youth radio/poetry slams; create a managers' mentoring program; open the schools up to the community; hold standards to instructional quality; create homework clubs; incorporate educational goals into CBO/other community services; look at education within a broader community context (including community safety, the hope/hopelessness within a community)
Fostering Coalitions and Networks	Link libraries, schools, and businesses; include student unions; bring neighborhood groups into schools; engage governmental and non-governmental partnerships to ensure good academic outcomes for county residents
Educating Providers	Increase access to healthcare; increase awareness with regard to mental health and child development issues; train principals to integrate resources into schools; provide leadership development programs for principals/superintendents
Promoting Community Education	Reinforce educational messages everywhere (ie: utilize media that can reach specific audiences, eg: radio/ cable TV/ SoulBeat
Strengthening Individual Knowledge and Skills	Provide tutoring for all ages; create programs that address parenting skills; create job shadowing programs; train/encourage parents to work with youth on academic skills; create programs for adult literacy/education; provide basic literacy across the life-span and for ESL individuals

Risk Factor: Alcohol/Other drugs

Spectrum Level	Activities
Influencing Policy and Legislation	Implement zoning and licensing of alcohol outlets to reduce the number that exist; create an alcohol tax to fund programs to deal with alcohol related problems; Create a "fairer"/equal distribution of alcohol outlets; hold bars and liquor stores more accountable; create legislation holding parents responsible for juvenile use of alcohol; limit advertising of alcohol; ensure that part of reunification plans for families involves mandatory alcohol treatment
Changing Organizational Practices	Limit or eliminate alcohol consumption at public events; look at existing models for limiting alcohol consumption; urge unions to take a position on alcohol and drugs; hold bars and liquor stores accountable for engaging in more responsible practice; utilize Teen courts (peer justice) to deal with alcohol related problems; step up enforcement of illegal activities
Fostering Coalitions and Networks	Support youth organizations doing work to reduce alcohol abuse; use neighborhood groups as a basis for community education campaign; establish clearer links between community organizations and law enforcement
Educating Providers	Educate alcohol providers; provide tools to alcohol providers to do the right thing (cards proclaiming the right to refuse sale)
Promoting Community Education	Create a media-public education campaign; hold alcohol-free community events; promote responsible behavior; increase awareness of who to contact to find help for problems; increase the range of mentors in the community; provide on-going curriculum on drugs and alcohol; increase the awareness of the social and economic costs of alcohol and drugs; work with neighborhood businesses to promote healthy consumption practices to reduce the abuse of alcohol and the use of drugs
Strengthening Individual Knowledge and Skills	Create parental education programs; develop school-based education; create faith-based education programs; implement parks and rec programs/after school programs; increase the number of mentoring programs and support services for youth; develop employee assistance programs; expand treatment and services; expand healthcare prevention and treatment; increase the number of counselors available for youth/increase the number of programs for youth -- build on existing youth activities; examine/enforce the conditions of probation prohibiting the use of alcohol or drugs for domestic violence; educate youth about alcohol and drug laws

Risk Factor: Meaningful opportunities for participation

Spectrum Level	Activities
Influencing Policy and Legislation	Ensure that policymakers send strong messages to community that violence is a major issue and that it is unacceptable; improve community design to encourage positive participation (built environment)
Changing Organizational Practices	Provide seed money/mini-grants to residents/neighborhood associations for community improvement; focus on community policy (eg: clean and green program to facilitate upkeep of inner-city areas)
Fostering Coalitions and Networks	Create a youth advisory group/community advisory (peer-based/diverse); provide opportunities for residents to actively and safely reduce violence in their communities
Educating Providers	Implement conflict resolution in curriculums; educate providers on cross-function collaboration; use crisis and incidence to inform people
Promoting Community Education	Increase opportunities for community dialogue/speakers bureaus; home alerts; dedicate council times
Strengthening Individual Knowledge and Skills	Hold job fairs; increase mentoring opportunities; implement conflict resolution programs in schools

Risk Factor: Positive attachments/relationships

Spectrum Level	Activities
Influencing Policy and Legislation	Support Head Start; support legislation that supports mentoring/drama/arts in schools; support current successful efforts (allocation of money to these programs); build off of Proposition 10 (tobacco tax) efforts; standardize after-school programs; prioritize family reunification programs; change child welfare system to focus on positive outcomes; instate a liquor tax program
Changing Organizational Practices	Ensure that programs fit the needs of the community; utilize schools as community centers; pay attention to youth and what they need; teach youth life skills as part of curriculum; implement 18 hour schools (with breakfast and after-school programs); lengthen school year; develop community mentoring program with professionals within the community acting as mentors; define outcomes differently (strengths based perspective); change program design needs to reflect resiliency; teach youth life skills
Fostering Coalitions and Networks	Invite individuals with money to participate in coalitions in the beginning -- rather than inviting them as an afterthought to increase funds; begin networking between senior programs and youth programs; be willing to take the time and personal effort to be a positive influence in youths' lives -- it's not all about money
Educating Providers	Educate extracurricular program leaders; place more of a focus on relationships -- shift from a hierarchy perspective
Promoting Community Education	Develop family resource centers; provide culturally appropriate services; identify community assets
Strengthening Individual Knowledge and Skills	Offer parenting classes; develop peer-based community education

Shaping a violence prevention structure for Alameda County: Advisory Board members reviewed the 5 objectives that the core group indicated needed to be addressed by the chosen structure. These are: centralizing leadership, providing a training venue, ensuring collaboration across departments and CBOs, dissemination of public information and involvement of general public, and data collection and analysis. Advisory Board members then reviewed the preliminary structure chart informed by the Core Group. The structure includes a high-level coordinating council and active engagement with both governmental and non-governmental groups such as youth, business, community, etc. There are still a number of unanswered questions that will be answered throughout the blueprint development process. Advisory Board members provided input into who might comprise the membership of the Coordinating Council and also discussed the role of some non-governmental sectors. This input will be considered by the core group as it moves forward.

Coordinating Council Membership

Advisory Board members were asked to list 5 governmental departments and/or agencies that should sit on a coordinating council. It should be noted that some Advisory Board members also listed non-governmental entities (youth groups, faith-based organizations, business/chamber of commerce, and CBOs) as potential coordinating council members, indicating interest in ensuring non-governmental participation in the overall structure. The governmental departments/agencies named are listed below with the number of members who mentioned each one indicated.

County Government	City/Schools	Other
Social Services (14) Probation (14) Health (13) Public Health (10) Sheriff (8) County Administrators Office (5) Courts (4) District Attorney (4) Board of Supervisors (4) County Office of Education (2) Children's Services (1) Zoning/Code enforcement (1) Alcohol Beverage Control (1)	Police (8) School Districts (6) Chamber of Commerce (5) School Administration/ Superintendent (2) City Government (2) City Human Services (2) Parks/Rec (1) Oakland PD (1) Oakland City Council (1) Oakland (1) OUSD (1)	Law Enforcement (3) First 5/ Every Child Counts/ Prop 10 (1) Economic Development (3)

Non-Governmental Participation

Throughout phase I interviews and the beginning of phase II Core Group work, it became clear that it was important to ensure non-governmental participation in the Alameda County violence prevention structure. Advisory Board members provided preliminary advice into the ways of engaging three non-governmental sectors (youth, business and community). Members addressed the following two questions with respect to each sector: 1) In thinking about the key outputs (training, public information, effective programming, etc.) what are the primary roles for this sector to play and what are there needs? and 2) How do we ensure communication/ engagement between this sector and the coordinating council? The responses generated by Advisory Board members are as follows:

Youth

1) In thinking about the key outputs (training, public information, effective programming, etc.) what are the primary roles for this sector to play and what are their needs?

Training:

• Youth should be paid to develop a curriculum and implement training for violence prevention.
• Government officials should be trained about the issues that youth face, as well as youth culture (youth should be the trainers and be paid for this responsibility).
• People (particularly teachers) should be trained on how to work with young people.

Data: Youth should be involved in the following ways:

• Review data and analysis
• Identify what needs to be researched
• Engage in Participatory Action Research -- data gathering (PAID)
• Youth should be trained to do research (qualitative and quantitative)
• Focus groups with youth

Programs:

• Youth should be involved with program development, implementation, outcomes and evaluation, and should be paid to be working in these areas
• Youth should be taught how to be involved with lobbying and political activism
• Youth as advocates and as promoters of effective programs
• There should be funding for youth driven youth organizations
• Mini-grants provided to youth to facilitate program start-up
• Youth media (radio/news/Oakland Tribune, East Bay Express youth column)
• Music and art programs available to youth
• Build upon Hip Hop culture
• Establish groups in schools to disseminate information to the community, conduct community education campaigns and work on community development
• Link older students with younger students as mentors

2) How do we ensure communication/engagement between this sector and the coordinating council?

• Ensure that there are 2 youth representatives on the coordinating council from a youth advisory board
• Formally organize the group as a youth advocacy group whose task is to hold the coordinating council responsible (give the youth some power)
• Take the youths' position seriously
• Broad representation county-wide

Community

1) In thinking about the key outputs (training, public information, effective programming, etc.) what are the primary roles for this sector to play and what are their needs?

• Community organizations disseminate information, be training venues for their constituency and act as a conduit to get information back to the coordinating council
• Working with the community through a place based approach: building structures, include all community partners so they can identify the issues and what their training needs are. By working with communities in a place-based manner, communities become more powerful magnets for funding
• Hold trainings regarding community watch, after-school literary programs at churches, athletic facilities, YMCA, girlscout troups (to ensure that large, diverse audiences are reached). Also distribute surveys to collect data for the coordinating council through these venues (to ensure the most representative sample with the least amount of data collection effort).

2) How do we ensure communication/engagement between this sector and the coordinating council?

• CBOs can understand, participate, and develop a base of support for the coordinating council and disseminate information to their constituencies from the council. CBOs can also be utilized to fundraise.
• Bi-directional training venues (training from the council to the community regarding how to engage in a bureaucratic system/training from the community to the council in the form of neighborhood tours, house meetings, etc. to engage/inform the coordinating council with different communities.
• Someone from each non-governmental sector should sit on the council and represents that group by taking information between the group and the coordinating council. It is important that these representatives are part of the coordinating council from the beginning.
• It is important to establish a community advisory board

Business

1) In thinking about the key outputs (training, public information, effective programming, etc.) what are the primary roles for this sector to play and what are their needs?

• Training and jobs in the actual community -- creating pride in the community
• Create a business friendly atmosphere
• Longer open hours
• Business can provide training and funding
• Job fair
• Training programs for youth
• Building mentoring into evaluation of employees
• Provide businesses (especially those that have been criticized for their negative contributions to the community) with opportunities to make positive contributions
• Through zoning and other regulations, the Board of Supervisors can limit the availability alcohol/tobacco business
• Enforcement of design review/zoning regulations that pertain to safety (eg: only 25% of window can be covered by signage)
• It is important to get businesses to recognize that they have a broader community responsibility (eg: the role that fast food businesses and banks play in creating litter which has a negative effect on a community)

2) How do we ensure communication/engagement between this sector and the coordinating council?

• Needs a group focused on what you are trying to solve and sitting down and figuring it out (downtown association)
• Call a meeting of all 13 Chambers of Commerce and tell them what we are doing -- they would then choose a spokesperson

FUTURE MEETINGS:
The next Core Group meeting will be held on March 4, 2004 (time and location TBA). The next Advisory Board meeting will be held in April (the date has not yet been set).

MATERIALS:
Materials for the blueprint development process, including those distributed to the Core Group and Advisory Board, are available at preventioninstitute.org/alameda.html

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