Our Experience

H.E.L.P.E.R Crisis Intervention Workers have the following qualifications and experience:

• A License to Operate “LTO” with every street organization in the area in which they work.
• Full knowledge of the local street organization structure (names, hierarchies, roles of the most active members, and dynamics that may lead to violence or offer opportunities for exit).
• Open communications with the active leaders (at each age level within the gang) and the trust and respect of those leaders.
• Cultural competency and linguistic ability (i.e., V2K H.E.L.P.E.R. team has Spanish-speaking members) necessary to work with the diverse populations within 77 II, southwest II and Venice area communities.
• At least 8 years of paid and volunteer work resolving gang crises, preventing retaliatory violence and forming and maintaining peace agreements.
• Understanding of “street anger” and “jail anger” and knowledge of paradigms for non-violent dispute resolution among Street Organization members.
• A theoretical and practical understanding of the psychosocial concept of “alternation” (defined as the transformation of the mindset that fosters gang violence in favor of peaceful alternatives for dispute resolution, e.g., coming to and staying at the peace table).
• The mentoring skills necessary to guide individual Street Organization members and the Street Organization itself through the alternation process.
• Certifications from the Youth and Gang Violence Intervention Specialist training program of the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State-LA.  Three current CIW’s have completed the classes at the Gang Workers Training Academy of the Advancement Project, and two of these are so skilled in violence interruption and prevention strategies that they teach classes in the AP’s Training Institute. 

The CIW's qualifications and experience for providing individualized wrap-around services are:

• 3-5 years of training in the theoretical basis and practical use of best practices for case management (including both the medical model and the revisionist ethnic-cultural competency model).
• At least a 3-year history applying these practices to Street Organization members.
• 3-5 years providing the intake, referral, service coordination and follow-up functions of case management.
• Understanding of the dynamics of both jail anger and street anger, and at least 3 years’ experience using this knowledge in conflict resolution.
• The knowledge and ability to use their LTOs to form mentoring relationships with Street Organization members seeking to exit gang life, and the skills to facilitate this process (without jeopardizing their LTOs).
• A 3-5 year history of facilitating support groups that promote this transformation.
• At least 6 years’ experience in documentation related to case management, e.g., proven ability to maintain up-to-date and complete case files.