A Community Safety Department Update

Community Safety Department Update Fall, 2023

This memo serves as an update on the work done in the months between our last update in May and now. This document provides an overview of the department and some of our plans for the coming months. You will find the following sections: staffing overview (p1), infrastructure (p2), program evaluation (p3), operational readiness (p3), training plan (p5), community engagement (p6), HEART (p8) and technical assistance (p8), appendix (p9).

Overview The full-time staffing of the CSD includes Liz Speakman, LICSW, Director, Michele Scott, Program Coordinator and our new full-time hire, Kara Blue. Marie Mathieu has continued as our Clinical Consultant five hours a week providing support around clinical issues as well as assisting with the recruitment and interview process for all our new hires.

The CSD’s staffing model has been updated since our last communication and currently includes a Director, Assistant Director of Clinical Services, Assistant Director of Administration and Operations (currently posted), Program Coordinator, two Clinical Coordinators, Administrative Coordinator, six Crisis Responders, and a Data Analyst. As of today, we have hired a Director, Program Coordinator, Administrative Coordinator, six Crisis Responders, and two Clinicians. We are reviewing the need for a Data Analyst.

We have also contracted Niko Emack to develop our strategy for communication and community engagement.

Scope Since our last update in May, we have hired nine staff, which includes six Crisis Responders, two Clinical Coordinators and one Administrative Coordinator. We received 430+ applications for the Crisis Responder, Clinical Coordinator, and Administrative Coordinator roles. In order to make these hires, we conducted a total of 36 phone screening interviews, 41 in person interviews, 27 reference checks and nine offers, all of which were enthusiastically accepted!

Our Crisis Responder interview panel included: Liz Speakman, Marie Mathieu, Michele Scott, Niko Emack, Kara Blue, Malene Council, Fred Cabral, and Sam Gebru. Our Clinical Coordinator interview panel featured: Liz Speakman, Marie Mathieu, Michele Scott, Elana Klein, Elijah Williams, Jade Young, and Shameka Gregory. And our Administrative Coordinator interview panel consisted of: Liz Speakman, Michele Scott, and Francesca Gaines. We are grateful to all the community partners and City personnel who were involved in our hiring process.

From left to right: Liz Speakman, Matthew Gomes, Niko Emack, Jade Young, Michele Scott, Jeffrey

Alger, Elijah Williams, Fernandes Francois

Program Evaluation

We have been accepted into the 2023-2024 Cohort of Alternative Programs at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Government Performance Lab (GPL). The first deliverable that the GPL will be working with us to complete is a program evaluation plan including the development of goals and a detailed data collection plan.

Operational Readiness

Our coverage plan currently includes a model for two teams –– three staff per team –– which includes two Crisis Responders and one Clinical Coordinator. Two additional responders will be primarily focused on follow up care and providing back up coverage for the CARE teams. The full cohort is starting on September 11, with Monday through Friday regular schedules for the training period until December 4. On December 4, the team will transition into the following staggered shifts:

Team A: Mon-8 am-7 pm, T/W/Th 8 am-5:30 pm

Team B: T/W/Th 12-9:30 pm Fri 10:30-9:30 pm

We expect the teams will spend December, January, and February getting familiar with the community through outreach, shadowing, ride alongs, and support for the Warming Center. As well as attending meetings, events, and other community engagement opportunities. We are aiming to launch the 9-1-1 response in March 2024.

Additional updates:

If you’re just looking to connect, you can reach us at [email removed] or call our new number at [phone removed]. We have moved into our new office space at 689 Mass Ave in the lower level. We are continuing to work with Public Safety IT to review and vet software options to ensure we have the capacity and ability to collect data in a secure manner with appropriate separation from public safety.

We will soon be putting out an RFP to secure software that will provide a confidential way of collecting our data as well as timely program evaluation data and the ability to publish a public dashboard. We have decided on a logo based on input from the Steering Committee. We are deciding on colors for the uniforms that are distinctive and go well with the logo. We have worked on drafting policies that will be reviewed internally before being shared publicly.

In addition to a welcome letter for new staff, the policies will address: o Core Beliefs o Ethics and Conduct o Scene Safety o Mandated Reporting o HIPPA Compliance o Documentation Guidelines o Daily Equipment Checking o Infection Control o Transportation of Individuals

o Radio Etiquette o Request by Fire o Request by Police o Needle Pick Up o Call specific guidance o Ride Alongs o Accountability As a reminder, the Community Safety’s Steering Committee assisted in developing the follow mission and values statements.

Mission Statement:

The Cambridge Community Safety Department’s CARE (Community Assistance, Response and Engagement) Team provides an alternative approach to the criminal legal system through compassionate and community-centered prevention and intervention efforts. The Community Safety Department is guided by the following values: 1. We are continuously learning, evolving and reimagining our approach in order to best meet the needs of the community we serve. Our department culture embraces a growth mindset and values curiosity, humility and our shared humanity.

2. We commit to continue exploring restorative practices in order to build empathy, compassion and help repair trust in the community in creative ways.

3. We center relationships, partnerships, authentic collaboration and joy in all of our work. We are guided by the wisdom, insights and experiences of those who came before us and those who are doing the work today to build solutions in community. We are intentionally laying groundwork for the future we envision.

4. We are consciously not reproducing systems of oppression and aim to create equitable, anti- racist and non-discriminatory ways of serving our community.

5. We acknowledge the historical implications of the criminal legal system and the harm it has done to our communities. With this understanding, we value the dignity and humanity of all people

Training plan

Starting the second week of September, our responders and clinicians will undergo 8 weeks of highly specialized training before responding to calls in the community. Internally, our team spent the summer thinking strategically about what information would be beneficial for our responders to learn.