Rising Above the Influence (RAIN) - https://www.comprehensiveliferesources.org/other-programs/

• Calvin Kennan Sr., Comprehensive Life Resources, ckennon@cmhshare.org
• Benjamin Feldbush, Comprehensive Life Resources
• We are wearing Orange today for a purpose.  The City of Tacoma is supporting National Guns Violence Awareness Day – in is actually June 2^nd.  To show your support for mothers, sibling, children affected by gun violence, wear orange on June 2^nd..  We’ll keep you updated on future efforts related to gun violence awareness.
• Adam, Shelby, and Patrick are part of the RAIN team as well.
• In 2011 city of Tacoma did a gang assessment, established a “gang reduction model”.  A new assessment is underway, but we are still working off the current assessment.
• The RAIN program does outreach and get referrals from a variety of organizations, including Tacoma Public schools
• We help with:
  • Jobs
  • Internships
  • Court supports
  • Supporting and assisting the entire family
• Prevention strategies
  • Assist youth by stabilizing families – holistic approach – work not just with  the youth, but the mom and dad and work to support them however they need that support.
• In the first 9 months
• 278 contacts
• 52 enrolled clients (1 in 6 of contacts – pretty good)
• 31 family members are engaged for 18 different clients
• Over 90 partners -& Multi-disciplinary Team (MDIT) members
• Multi-disciplinary Team (MDIT) –everyone has to work together to address the impact of Gangs.
• Next MDIT meeting is Wednesday June 6^th
• Outreach Approaches
  • Schools
  • Community organizations
  • MDiT members
  • Remann Hall – work with juveniles
• Benjamin –
  • I was raised in gangs, brothers were gang members – watched their friends die – later on I watched my friends die
  • Kids often don’t have a home, or parents are often not at home for a variety of reasons.
  • Program does outreach in Tacoma Public Schools, like Lincoln, Stadium, Mount Tahoma, and Oakland.  We talk to 12 year olds worried about being sex trafficked – 10 year olds worried about getting killed. 
  • We bring clients to community partners with resources – without these resources, we can’t build the trust with these kids. 
  • Passia is doing yoga with some high school kids – didn’t know about yoga until college at TCC – it has made me more successful because of it.
  • Shelby runs a basketball program – kids need an activity – it helps to take pressure off of them
  • Another basketball camp is in the works – talk about recruitment options – kids need their minds off the negatives
  • Need to teach kids communication skills.
  • Just signed up 11 or 12 kids for Freshstart at TCC – kids need something to take up their time so they don’t get in trouble –school and homework fills their time so they can’t get in trouble.
  • We help them build a team of friend and network of support to help them be successful.  Helping their families is important too – that is when the community partners come in.  Giving these kids help is important.
  • Kids do deviant behaviors because they are hungry or have other basic needs.  We bring them hope and a way to find success. 
  • My friends are watching their kids get murdered today.  Success is by changing kids one-by-one, and that is the work of the Rain team and our partners.
• Calvin –
  • Have 15-20 referrals at a time at the schools
  • 4 of our youth who attended the last job fair were immediately employed
• Success stories – we are getting kids employed and in school.  (they had some narrative success stories on their powerpoint, but I didn’t get a chance to copy them down or snag a copy of the powerpoint –ed).
• How to access us –e-amil rain@cmhshare.org or call 253-302-1099
• We serve as young as birth to 24 year old.  We’ll figure out a way to make things work for folks that need services.  This is a City of Tacoma initiative – so only the City of Tacoma residents.  Looking at other school districts to work with (Bethel is interested).  
• Patricia – do you go out to the hot spots with lots of gang activity?  Calvin – we get referrals from the TPD – we get few referrals from the hot spots.  Gang activity has changed in the Tacoma area – you used to see gangs on the streets.  Can see them in pockets at a store or someone’s house.  Most referrals are from the schools.  We work hard to find a story to engage gang members.  Need a way to not stereotype kids.  Kids being kids and gang activity can look similar – need to be respectful of folks.   
• Street outreach is typically referrals – trying to divert youth from gangs, but not necessarily engaging kids in gangs. 
• Engaging a gang member on the street can put that gang member at risk.  We do street outreach in a very careful, deliberate way.
• Al – Academic question – we focus on the damage and negatives of being in a gang – but kids who get in gangs learn some skills that if they were acknowledged and shaped could help them succeed in the real world (I was looking for some Rap lyrics to counter the notion that gang lifestyles aren’t the real world, but all the lyrics I read through were either indecipherable to me or used words I’m unwilling to put in the in the minutes on each line, so I gave up. But somehow I got the image of Al rapping stuck in my head, and it is making me smile.  Any chance of a rap performance, Al?  -ed).  Do we address that at all?  Ben – just because you are in a gang doesn’t mean you can’t take what you learn in a gang and do something else with it.  In gangs, there is love, honor and respect.  There is drive to be successful in gangs – you can transition what they’ve learned into something better.  Kids often think they can’t do school –but they can successfully sell drugs and do work where they might get shot – then they say they can’t read a book.  Work with them to see their strength and help them redirect it to something more positive (I loved this bit, I wish I could capture Ben’s clear faith in the worth of the youth he’s working with – ed.)
• Alice – how much success have you had overcoming disabilities with clients – either families members or clients with disabilities?  Calvin – we work with our partners to help them out. 
• Ben – engage with one kid, that can start a trend. 
• Kenny – are your youth homeless or in their homes?  Calvin – some are homeless, for whatever reason.
• Kenny  - What is the deterrent to gang life?  Calvin – if family members are gang involved, we work with the family to let their child work with services so they not live the gang life.  Ben – influence is the toughest to work with – kids get direction from music – don’t know that they will necessarily end up in prison.  Many kids thing that no one cares about them – we need to show these kids they have value that they matter.  For us to make this work, we can’t just do interventions, the whole community needs to support these kids.
• Come listen to the Gang Panel – Monday, June 4^th 11:30-1:30 – TCC – student center building 11 - learn about gangs – 5 folks talking about barriers they go through.  Send youth and families – a great opportunity to hear real experiences people in our community are having
• James - RAIN can work with anybody – can work with everyone – no Medicaid limits – no limits to other interventions.