Good evening. All this is the meeting of the Education Committee of the in Annapolis City Council convene on Tuesday. APRIL 7th, it's 2026 at 05:30pm. I would like to begin by asking my colleagues on the committee to briefly introduce themselves for the record. Saw that with council Brown. Good evening. Thanks, MR. Chair Jesse Brown District 13 new north near East side. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN Jessica McCormick district 16 West side, including speak right? Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN counselor Dan Boots, District 3 Washington Lawrence townships. Thank you DR. Carlos Perkins District 6. I would like to begin this particular meeting tonight. There are no proposals before this committee. However, we have a special presentation on Marin County Youth, gun violence and potential solutions. Given the current challenges we face, this is a
timely and necessary discussion. We are appreciative of the work being carried out by the many entities across our city and county. That are committed to reducing gun violence and creating safer communities for our young people. We are honored to welcome 3 notable community leaders who will help to guide this conversation this evening. DR. Virgil Gregory, associate professor in the School of Social work at Indiana University. Indianapolis. DR. Joseph, talk to Edmunds, associate professor religious studies and Africana studies and associate director of the Center for the Study of Religion in American culture at Indiana University, Indianapolis. And MR. Brandon Randle. Founder of True colors consultant Ellis c in
Indianapolis. 2 Colors, Consulting llc is committed to empowering individuals in cook organizations to leadership development. Conflict, resolution and community engagement strategies. The organization works, equip communities with practical tools address violence built Russ and Fosse, this sustainable pathways towards safety and opportunity. As counselors and community members. It is our hope. That gatherings like this will equip us with the research tools and best practices needed to effectively reduce gun violence in general and youth gun violence in particular. This is not simply policy issue. It is a human issue that touches Families Co schools, neighborhoods and futures. Our responsibility is
to listen carefully. To learn the plea. And to lead with both courage and compassion. As we consider what works and how we can scale those efforts across our city. We must also recognize that this work requires all of us. No single institution office or organization can solve this challenge alone. It will take collaboration across sectors, education. Public safety, faith communities, nonprofits and residents themselves working together with shared purpose in sustained commitment. Each of us has a role to play in building safer environments where our young people can thrive. So let today's discussion be more than just a presentation. It is a call to action for all of us. The work before us is urgent. It is also filled with
possibilities. If we remain committed informed. And united, we can help shape a future with hope is stronger. Then on Monday, opportunity outweighs risks. Together. We can do the hard and necessary work of creating a safer, more just community for the next generation. And with that, I'm going presenters tonight. My colleague Council Gray's just walking on a long to do some self. Thank you, MR. Chair Keith Gray's Indianapolis City Council district 9 on the Indianapolis East side. Thank you. Council graze and I turn it over presenters tonight to share with what they have researched and found and recommendations. Thank you. Dr
version. All right. Thank you so much for having us. We go to my thank you. So before coming to iu School Social I was full-time addictions. Therapist. I worked with adults and adolescents who had addiction and Corcoran mental health issues. The majority of my clients were referred by dcs in Marin County Probation also have a lot of clinical experience basically every area of of addictions. I think I'd be remiss if I didn't say I was born and raised in Indianapolis yeah group. I spent a lot of time and ips. I graduated from Decatur Bessman to live First 10 years of high school indicate in I p s my research looks at the intersection racial injustice
mental health issues has focused specifically on cognitive behavior therapy, which is the most researched psychotherapy and its application to black Americans and also persons with addictions. I do a lot school things like developing skills and measures to measure social and psychological phenomenon. And I do a lot of statistical modeling as well. And as you'll see today at the end of the presentation qualitative research as well. Good It's great to spend this evening with you all to talk about this very important topic. My name is Joseph Tucker. Edmonds. I'm a professor of religious studies and africana studies and what I want to highlight is that I had the opportunity to work alongside Dr Gregory, as we've done a couple of studies throughout
the city of Indianapolis, thinking about racial trauma, black men and how that affects not only their current lies but the trajectories of their lives. And so part of what we are bringing to the conversation today is how do institutions impact or mitigate or interact with the behaviors, the decisions and the life trajectories of the folks that we are very interested and concerned My research looks primarily at black religion and the body and what it means to be a theorist of the body. This at this evening is to think holistically about what it means for our young folks in this city to be well. And so what we're going to be where you'll see us talking about tonight is what it means for there to be well around the logic and the metric of mental wellness, what it means for them to be well as they are
engaged and push to be activists and leaders in the community and what it means for them to be. Well as it relates to the communities and institutions of care that surround them as a scholar, religious stays. I'm looking at churches and non traditional religious institutions. How do they interact and what specific role do they play and making sure that not only are we dealing with these larger factors, but that we really attending to the black body up agency and wellness. And what does it mean to have a life that encompasses not only surviving but flourish? So MR. Randall. Good evening, everybody. My name is Brandon Randle and I'm the founder of True Colors Consulting a youth
worker and youth worker for 20 years. And I'm still doing direct service. My work in schools and the community every single day. And so this topic is a very personal for me. This is my life. 24 7, 3.65 and I was already excited for tonight, but even more excited because one of my amazing young people happened to join me tonight. And now he is joining the panel discussion. You know, on-the-job training. Some have Brandon Spidey introduce himself. My name is Prince by I work our get their different schools. 58. All right. Just want to start with a personal disclaimer that today all of the things that me Dr Tucker state they solely represent me and Dr evidence. They do not
represent any other individuals, entities, employers, organizations or any other parties. All the only represent us. In today's presentation. You're going to hear you got introductions. So you see that we're from different different areas. But we have we have the core value of care for the city and the youth that Senate. But you want to see some different perspectives. Some on the same topic. But they're all to the benefit of the while we're here. 4 today's agenda, we're going to start off with flaming youth violence in the context of mental health. One described. A criminal risk variables. I want to describe a continuum of antisocial traits that are found in youth and adults. And then there
will be some key takeaway points. And MISTER Randall is also going to discussing some of these things as well. They want to talk about potential solutions. Which include clinical things like evidence-based interventions, like I think people therapy and some family based interventions as well as a brief discussion of hospital based based violence interventions. Once the violence has already occurred, as well as community initiatives is all 3 of us are actively involved in the community in Indianapolis, addressing key issues directly pertain to youth violence. We will end with some unique stories so minds as want to come from the quality to stay them working, going and
specific things the youth had to from the 4, 6, 2, in a zip code had to say about youth violence and MR. Randall and DR. Tucker Edmonds. And the gentleman here he's also going to be sharing some things as well. All right. So the frame is is in mental health. And we're going to start off with. For someone to start off with 8 criminal risk and their bills. The first is antisocial traits which you hear a lot In Thai social beings and popular media and culture. So I have a whole couple slides on that. So I'll come back to it. But these are factors that can affect youth violence and they transfer over to adult as well. This is in the presentation by think it's worth stating right now. These
all things that are amenable these 2 cycles ocean of in interventions fees are things that you can actually change. So first personality like adventurous risk-taking impulsivity. Certain thoughts and beliefs like sometimes you can have thoughts and beliefs like education is not important. Associates having here's that are actively involved gangs or other other non pro-social things. Families or huge important part as I talk about you're also going to hear about the strengths of families in correcting youth violence. We're going to talk about school and work activities, leisure and then substance use. So. Youth violence and gun violence. It can diagnostic. We can be viewed
along a continuum of external lies disorders, external lies disorders are under control disorders, for example, if I want to hit somebody or 5, if not, if I'm upset, then I would do it all. Hit somebody out, destroy something and those are behaviors that under control. These are things that shouldn't be doing, but I'm going to go ahead and do them. Which you see an oppositional, defiant disorder, conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder. The extent of under control behaviors just kind of increase in sea graduates in there are more severe as we move through that different diagnostic categories. So the first one is defied and disorder. This is diagnosed in childhood. It's a pattern of angry, irritable argumentative, vindictive
behavior. There are certain specified years that depend the number of settings in which the symptoms manifest themselves. And one thing that all comment on that, I think you'll you'll see throughout as you read some of these, you can say all while nephew or niece, who who's like this But one of the things that's important is that you have to look at the consequences of it. So if a child goes one time because you go to with usually one of these disorders. But here I'm just giving you an overview. I'm not giving you all the diagnostic criteria. What would make a diagnosis is the frequency of the symptoms and the duration of them as well as other things like if they can be explained by reasonable
factors. Second on the list is conduct disorder. So this is a pattern behavior of violating the rights of others or violating age appropriate norms. This could be aggression to people or animals. Bullying initiating fights using the weapon, the cause of serious harm to other people, destruction of properties, deception. This is important curfew violations running away from home as we see young people to have these issues. These are definitely red flags. It doesn't mean that they have a disorder. But if they are taking to to bring them to treatment. And that whole thing is assess. You're so you also want to look at the consequences. Said too, finally is antisocial personality disorder. This is diagnosed in adulthood. A pattern of disregarding and violating the rules, rights of
others before in order to be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, you must have already met the criteria for a conduct disorder. I want to bring that up because I'm hoping that it shows that these things occur along the continuum when I was practicing, if I see that somebody has an antisocial personality disorder. Of course I would ask, but I could usually be pretty accurate about believing that they probably met the criteria for a conduct disorder. And if the people were on this quite often, that was what it was so again, this is important. Just so, you know, that there is a continuum and each point along the continuum is option is opportunity for intervention.
All So I know. Brandon, I think we're going go to you at this point. Yes. So I want to make sure that we also understand the inner personal aspect of root causes of gun violence. Know we have a lot of the research around behavior, but I think that is really important. This conversation to go below that surface and what is causing some of these behaviors. So I want to point out 2 things. So the first one is absent, caring and consistent relationships. We know many studies that one of the most protective things and that violence, but specifically youth gun violence is absence or the presence of a caring and consistent all whether that's a family member, a mentor. Whoever that MAY be. And that is a critical factor. And then the other one is the
absence or the presence of hope. So it's an I I know be talking about couple help theory and where that comes from looking at some of the researchers. So I think it's important note, while looking at some of these research math is we also have to balance that with the inner personal approaches as well because a lot of times that gets lost in translation and order have this conversation, I think that that has to be a balance priority. All right. I'm going to just provide a few takeaways us as far as the diagnoses. So. Again, East diagnosis should be viewed as a point of intervention. All of these diagnoses oppositional defiant disorder conduct this way into social personally. These all treatable disorders. Considerations should be made
as far as the environment with maybe be considered a conduct disorder in one setting. When you look at the context, it MAY not necessarily be that bring into the the contextual factors. These diagnoses, they do carry a lot of stigma. But the purpose of the diagnosis is not to stigmatize anyone. The purpose of a diagnosis is to specify unique calls course in treatment. So when somebody sees, for example, conduct disorder, they should have annualized intervention to address that. I just want to say this real quick, too. There is a movement in cycle pathology where what if you get a client that has all of these disorders and things like that? The emphasis is kind of moving towards the poor calls treating that core
columns because a lot of these issues, these under control behaviors. That's true for substance use to write. So if you use a substance. You shouldn't use that much. But you can't control it. Impulsivity is what underlies a lot of these under control behaviors. So where cycle without psychotherapy is moving is treating the core causes. This is important. Because when a person sees a youth that has, for example, opposition defined disorder, they need to be aware that this youth could also be at risk, depending on their friends of also using substances and things of that nature. And depending on their family as well. Doctor, Gregory and I know it's a typical practice that we allow our guests to complete the presentation before engaging conversation. But I don't want
to MISS This moment. You share that conduct disorder can be viewed differently depending on the set in. Can explore that a little bit for me. And I want to use personal example. So I grew up in Indianapolis. I grew up in Sutton Place, which if you it had been here that you do or don't know a sudden places. But that's where I grew up. So sometimes you MAY be put in certain situations where your response is, they MAY appear. Disproportionate and maybe in that situation it is. But in certain and there's an infinite number of possibilities. But depending on the neighborhood, the context what's going on? It
MAY not necessarily be conduct disorder. MAY not deviating from the norms of that neighborhood or things like that. So if if that that as content, it does think in a are I was going to ask DR. Greg, if you could talk about what in this case might be understood as a reasonable response to the systemic conditions under which certain of our use who MAY engage in behavior or activity that we would find problematic. But given their contacts, write it, it could be understood as reasonable as a result of responding to trauma, to fear, to continued acts of even neglect or abuse. Right, buy it. You know, police city officials, things of that nature. It can you explain
it's going to be focused on my say person responding very erratically to a police officer, stopping them. My my emblematic the understudies having conduct disorder. But under that contacts where everyone in the neighborhood is stop over and over again and therefore is experiencing that kind of trauma and this then it might be inaccurate or MAY be incomplete to call that conduct this war. But what would you name that if you're going to that something okay. Absolutely. So that that is a good example. Also lists a a 13 gets jumped by 3 people. This you fights. I want to say good, but they know how to fight. So the 3 people they jumped this youth. They are they looked worse than the
youth. Sometimes a person MAY look at the youth and say, well, you did this to these 3 people. In this situation where a person is being attacked by by 3 individuals, they MAY have fear for their lives. They MAY have grown up in a family where their their parents were being abused or things of that nature. These would be the contextual factors that you want to consider before you make that diagnosis. Thank you for that. And I do invite my colleagues if you have any questions to to to ask. I was interested. I was reflecting what when you stated that I was reflecting on my experience both as the principal. Here in Indianapolis in one of school districts and attend in football games for that particular school district but also attended football games. My daughter's school district who attends a majority
cultured high school. And the expectation for behaviors in rules that were set up in very 2 very different school Sedins rather interesting for me. And the school said in where I worked, there were things that work considered to be conduct disorder and needed monitor in and it was majority minority school district versus my door to school where there are things that this that were acceptable behavior from the students that would be considered now adaptive behavior in a majority minority school district system. So I'm interested when you make that statement that this resonated for me of how what it looks like at least young people experiencing
things that you can get away with in a majority school district that you can't get rid get away with in a minority school district. So I would Brandon to talk a little bit about that because one of the things that we're seeing because I think the takeaway points here are that obviously we have diagnosis kit to help us identify certain kinds of behaviors and to intervene early and to apply practices, a solution that we're going to get to in the next part of presentation. But there's also I think it's Brandon was mentioning earlier and, you know, Dr Perkins COUNCILMAN Programs, you're alluding to is that there is this kind of over criminalization, this this and this model of hyper surveillance which would lead maybe an incorrect destination of disorder or a particular intervention around that
disorder that disadvantage is that young person to to persistent school to return the next week? You know, things of that news. I mean, what I want us to public that those are the systemic issues that are not taking seriously. These diagnosis. As on the spectrum, something that can be salt and something that should be understood as normative. Could we get a dusting? Your district? It was understood. Don't want to spectrum and it was normative and we had and resources to address them. Whether they were having at a football game bullying more risk circumstances. But we're moving over to these instances. We don't have those resources or we fail to use those resources so all of those activities, you know,
are criminalized or designated too early or too often as being on the far end of that diagnosis can sorry I what I want Brandon jump in and then we will move into ways in which I think there are responses to this, though, that that we're we're trying to push for today for the council people to consider. Yeah, I mean, you know, we see that and schools. We see programs. You know, you had young people who they are demonstrating some of these behaviors and it's not it's not tolerate it or it's not. There's no collaboration. The kind of address that happens right? And we see young people who are being labeled and as problematic as antisocial was delinquent. And what happens
is that label follows them. And then they are treated a certain way by educators and community members. And that, you know, a lot of adults and the challenges with that. What we are doing is we are applying totality of these young people's lived experience based upon one mistake, right? And even if that's not just once, you know, I worked with some young people the they they cut up pretty quick frequently. But the reality is, if we can see you too, apply some of these these diagnoses without an interpersonal intervention right? We have to be able to look at why some of these kids are acting the way they do. And I'll give you an example. I had a student about a week
ago who we were in the middle of one of our leaders of Sessions and he got mad at what I was trying to explain to him and he cussed me. I walked out the door now, Wolf, I what of responded you know, not let's explore. Not once have Brandon order and go kind of talked to him, but really just leave it on the surface of he cussed me out. That's unacceptable done. Then they would have been a disconnect in that relationship and they would have been no future opportunity for grace or understanding or redemption. And I think when we're talking about what Dr Virtual and after just for, you bring into this conversation, we are leaving out the opportunity for grace and for understanding and full redemption as adults. We want
that extended to us. But for some reason, we do not mutually extend that 2 young people who have been label or who are currently systems involved. And I think that, you know, all of that has a part of this conversation. And before go back to Dr, Virgil, I kind of want as Brandon, you know how you seen that, like have you seen the labels follow other young people? Your peers MAY be yourself. And what does that do to a young person's mind? What are your thoughts on that? My thought is that. I agree. They do. They do fall. You wherever you go. Feel like people should like. Be more out there to listen and not to judge off a situation that they see first time. And actually like putting Putin way to like get closer to him to see like was
the was the biggest with the big issue over the whole situation. And Why they need to do that? Because you will never understand a young person. If you don't get in today, shoes. Council So just a quick and objection and I agree with you very much, both Brandon's and what everyone is saying. I worked a high school for about 3 and a half years and some of my peers would kind of push back against some of this framing because from their perspective, you know, maybe it's true that our system is races, for example, that it, you know, judges, people wrongly, that it will treat, you know, young black males, especially as potential criminals and therefore react that way. But that's how society is. And so does school have some obligation to prepare young people for this unfair world that they're going to be entering into? And so some of them were like very big advocate of tough love.
And just like you do need to be very strict because it's a police officer, it's not just going to be exposure it'll be worse. I disagree with them that I wonder if you would have an answer to that kind of thinking. Yeah, I feel like, you know, that kind of goes back to this whole concept of hope right? You know, when we look at what our enemies of whoa. So there's an educator. His name is DR. Jeffrey docking on Drayton hero, a brief around for a Terry. And he explains the hope deferred is when we how this really a rational sense of future utopia that we're all aspiring to but not addressing the here. And now I think to combat that is having what he calls audacious help. And that is when we walk alongside young people and their
victories, but also in their challenges. And I think that schools, community members, elected officials, we all have a role and understanding this very interpersonal landscape. Part of nation's hopes as that we don't treat other people's children as others, but they are our children. Their pain is our pain. So when I'm working with my students, we're working with Brandon. I've been working with Brennan for 4 years. It's a very much a mutual relationship. I pointed him to be also pouring in to me, he holds me accountable. He's showing me love. And I think that that is where we're missing. The mark. And that is how seeing these incidents of gun violence, the general so disconnected you could go on any media outlet
and look in the comments section and you're gonna see blame parents blame y'all and blame the prosecutor by everybody. But we want to talk about the village, but nobody wants be part of the village as so. We have to really understand that we all have a part to play, including institutions like schools. But most importantly, we as a collective, we are letting young people down and we don't want to admit that. We don't want to say it on camera, but the reality is we have let them down because we think it is somebody else's business or responsibility when it is all of our responsibility. And I want to add to that brand and I headed back to virtual because I think that part of what taken Brenda says something about hope and grace. I think that we can think of that. You know, overly, you know, dimissed like mystified. We don't know.
It's it's not abstract when we're talking. We tonight are talking about hope in Gray's. We're talking about providing adequate and equitable resources to every child. That's what it looks like. When we talk about these the next slide, we're going to talk about solutions. That means health care to every child that needs medical care to all children, coaching to every child that we opening up our community later for all of our because I think that's what offering Grayson hoping this is not a pie in the sky saying that we're gonna going to you know, watch over and not address their issues that are around telling any teacher who is dealing with some states with calm through things in their lives and might be struggling with one of the disorders that Dr Gregory just outlined. But we
want to provide We've seen in the research and you provide Grayson hope in the form of real live solutions like therapy. Like access to coaching, like leadership development like institutions that stay open and are available in their neighborhoods that those are the kinds of tools that address these orders along the spectrum, right? We often think of them as 5, right? And that just means that once we see this disorder, there's nothing else to do with this disorder other than to get rid of this person and that problem. And we removed from the situation. These are not revise or as as as doctor Gregory has said, we're going open There's room for intervention. They can be solved. They can be reversed. We are, you know, and and there are ways in which they
can be a part of anybody. And really everybody's practice of engaging in democratic and full citizenship in our society. And that's what we mean by Grayson. Hope is that we're really calling for some of the solutions that we're going to talk about right now. I saw So we really want to hear the solutions. Council graze. Thank you, MR. I MR. CHAIRMAN too 2 different settings, the schools and his example. How close are we to being? Easy fix if we just simply changing environment, think you guys are kind of getting around that. Talking about consider it to be made for environmental context. If we just lift up a child, put him in a different environment. Would be reveal that they've been doing. Some
of those things conduct disorder, social person because of the environment like Decatur and like set in place. I know I have to act out when I lived in Brightwood job. I didn't want to do things I did. But in order to fit in. So the minute I was able to move for my grandmother and a whole different side of new environment, things change. Is it that easy or is it really some of this is truly routed? Where mental health therapist and clinicians have to come in and be involved. What do you think? Doctor Gregory? That? That's a really good question. I think is kind of individualized. I think it depends on the person and the environment. Sometimes people have like really good families. They got siblings that are protective. They look out for if the sibling if this child has a problem in a
school in the mother can't make it. Then the sibling is coming to advocate on on that child's bad. So in my opinion, that Shell would probably do well. They're going to have some struggles, depending on different struggles, depending on what environment they're But for the most part, they're probably going to make it. They got people that love them. They care about them. They have some of things that MISTER Rendell Brandon was talking about. So I think it kind of depends on on the person. And I want to add to that real quick. Glad that you brought importance of relationships. I think that that again, that is what we're seeing is kind of like a
foundation of this conversation is the presence of healthy and consistent relationships because you're right. Somebody could have and amazing family, even in some of you know, some of the neighborhoods that experience some challenges right? But they still have Kerry inconsistent family members. I think that that's where the gap is is that we're not. We're not having that discussion on. If there is a gap somebody's having a healthy relationship or a role model, how do we understand that? That is one of these potential solutions. How do we connect the young person? 2 minute warning or not just program, but a program with a person who cares? Because as
all ya know, just because you call yourself mentor does not mean that you are effective one. You have to be consistent and present and not just around when it's convenient. Right? So I think that we have to really understand that and understand that the heart is the court part of this whole conversation and not just, you know, some of the simpler things. So I appreciate you time. Council McCormick, can we get to a couple of solutions from Dr? Gregory and then we'll come back to you. Records show. Okay, I'll be I'll be pretty quick. So these are just a few solutions. They're not exhaustive at all. I'm going to talk about cognitive therapy, which I've been researching for quite some time and then family interventions and then I'm going make a brief comment about community initiatives.
I'm just going you some of the community organizations that I've worked with in the past so all of these things that they criminal risk variables again, they're all amenable to therapy. One of the most researched their pieces, cognitive therapy. It's actually the most researched therapy on earth. Its underlying assumption. Is that how a person thinks determines how they feel in bay Slough a person? It is has negative thinking that they're going to be depressed if a person is always receiving threat, they're going to be anxious if a person thanks to all somebody trying to like verbally assault me. That person will be angry and they will respond in such a manner. Cognitive behavioral therapy. It helps clients to learn to identify how impacted emotions
and behaviors. It teaches them ways to challenge thoughts and it helps when not everything is an issue of thinking. Sometimes there are real world problems in Cumberland there at the also uses problem solving as well. I want to go over. Some of the research behind it. Meta analysis is a study where? It combines multiple independent studies to give you overall effect. So you might find one stay. This is this thing won't stay. This is another. But what a meta analysis does is systematically reviews the available literature in the actually combines these these different states that you get overall effect. And these are some of the things that I am sharing with. You. So there is one meta analysis then looked
at cognitive therapy for severe aggression and it found large effect sizes. That is there's a big difference between people who got cognitive behavioral therapy in people who did not. And the meta analysis is kind of the top of the research chain is what I and other people look to What clinician should be looking to if they want to implement interventions that have some evidence behind them. We can go to the importance of families. Okay. Both. All right. So families are super important. They have the ability to influence youth in a positive way. I believe they have the ability to deter gun violence. And similar to addictions like wind. Basically all my work has been in addictions. When a person has an addiction and they have a family. What should be done?
It's not that you just treat that individual, but you want treat the whole family because that's the system where the person comes from it would kind of really bother me when I was a practicing clinician for the key is to just be dropped off. And I'm thinking we need to treat the entire family. We need mom here. We need the broad this year so that's the perspective that I'm advocating for. A is one that includes the family and not not necessarily is negative, but also is a is a potential solutions to the issues that that the individuals are facing as well. There's one a promising family interventions called parent management training. Uses positive here strategies and it focuses on positive
things rather than being courses. Problem solving is a really important one. Positive reinforcement giving praise for for positive things. Parental supervision is a part of this as well that that is an important component. The research shows that you have large effects using this intervention. One meta analysis show that there was a moderate effect. In reducing parent rated, disrupt this behavior and then there was a large effect improving parental skills. And a moderate effect in child's social skills. So these interventions do have some some some evidence behind them. I just have one slide on hospital based violence. But
when somebody gets shot. They're going to a hospital hospital based violence interventions or methods of using the hospital itself is a point of intervention. It has a multidisciplinary team got er doctors discuss social workers as nurses. They can address the the youth in in a more comprehensive kind of wrap around way to address to address youth violence and we're going to go MISTER Brandon. I want to briefly talk about the importance of you've led leadership. And then I know that Dr Joseph has some important information he is going to give as well. I'm going to yield the majority this time, however, to Brandon, we have been able to participate and witnessed a lot of the youth leadership
programs, whether that's true dialogue in the piece, leaders, which is a partnership to the Peace Learning Center. We've also does some elevation. Grant and some other work. Brandon, and I'm about to its low key in their sound because of my gas him up I met Brandon when he was a freshman when I was working at a local community organization, he completed a leadership program back then he was one of 3, 2, graduated when we have 12 or 13 who started out Brandon was a junior, he completed the ndp's leader out of 15 students. He was the only one perfect attendance. The next year we
have 3 cohorts. We have 50 students. He was the only one with perfect attendance. He then participated as a youth coordinator and the Elevation Grant program. He has been a true dialogue 2 times. He is currently the inaugural program assistant along with around Bell Rl Laci and Jose Gomez at Warren Central. But he is setting the standard. What we can do 2 counts. Her youth gun violence. And that looks like put the young people with lived experience in positions of leadership, guiding the direction of the policy and practice and paying them. So I want to turn it over to Brandon to share just a little bit about his story and then we'll trans transfer of back over to Dr Joseph. So my story goes like so when I
was younger, my mom she. She was like she was on to too. My day wasn't really around. And I just like kind of feel to streets. One guy loaded. I just went straight to whatever I can do get where I needed or to get to where I need to go. And couple mentors, couple different people that can help me help me down. Understood it. Lot of things in my life. Don't like. Put out on people. Well, I want them to know like what I've been through. So I tried it like help everybody understand like what I've been through. How changed, how the people around me help me change. And what does that play? And how are you giving back? Giving back by? In the community doing with it. A lot
of people need to do. As young age. I just turned this past Friday. Yes, I work our country for school, networking bills or longfellow intake. Basically like a a a big mentor. So I just talked to don't wait as to what they're going through as the mouth. And I hope See like. If they want to go do something how can I, you know, get today to get to doing what I need to do. Has make. It makes me feel wonderful. It makes me feel great. Cause. Really see a lot of young people doing what I'm doing. Thank you so much, Brian, for sharing that. I really appreciate that. And one of the things that I wanted to and with before we kind of move to questions that I want I want to kind of summarize quickly that Andrew, as thinking about the solutions, I think there's 3
things they were trying to highlight. DR. Gregory is talking about these carnival. This common to be here. The old therapy interventions at the hospital therapists at the school level. We have leadership development programs that are happening in communities the need to be financed and resourced and supported. And then I'm also talking about I want to talk a little bit about was that these other traditional anchor institutions that have to re imagine themselves and the most one of the most additional was adr Perkins Council Councilmember that would be blocked. Her tries that we, though these institutions, our space is simply says that young black men traditionally or historically when too, no longer attending at the same level. How do we transform or re imagine some of those spaces so that folks can turn to so that young folks can turn to and received these resources in those places that
are already embedded in our neighborhoods, right where they're going to go, where they can go to schools. But those close to that particular time and have, you know, resource that they can, you know, go to some of the community with those also have limited. But we also have these community embedded centers that we can use really re imagined or refit, if you will, to serve these purposes that we're talking about. I talk about this idea that black men live the desert. And I want to think about what that means that there's no that is impacting isolation. That no one is really believing that they are experiencing the kind of trauma and damage and hurt that they are suggesting. And the there that that medically that we outlining that person there is that sharing and that
this is not just the case for, you know, Reese's institutions that don't see or do not do. But these are this is also the case for. Black middle class and the black elite that we are racing and denying that they have something to offer to this conversation. And so as a result of that, I think that we're seeing the growth of religious disa. Philly Ation, I'm upset about black populations that as a result of this impact, isolation of that we're not caring or they were not showing concern for their growth and for the treatment that they are disa from some of these anchor institutions and and your slide. You can see the data suggest that, you know, black folks in general are dissipating from the black
church in some of these institutions. But black men are leaving at higher and higher rates, right? If we look at this, you know, it says that. And then if you look at younger populations, the rate is higher. It the long tail of religious affiliation. Right? And I think that this is not only by churches where we can also talk about this about the ymca or other places like that, these traditional spaces where we have not figured out how to refit them or refrain them for these folks. Right and across the board, I want you to think about is what is the result of the lives of Philly. Affiliation is says it is often correlated with the drop in community involvement and engagement. But the moment you become this affiliated from anchor institutions, right, whether their churches, a ymca days are other things that have traditionally brought
people together and provided spaces for all this to happen. You also then become disa. Philly what we're asking today. And hoping that we can kind of to that in a conversation about is thinking about what does it mean to reimagined churches to be able to hold some of these spaces and some of these practices and resources that Dr Gregory, MR. MR. Randall talked about was it mean for them to take up this challenge to think more critically about co creating programs with young folks rise of we were running out of time. But some of the things that we really want to highlight work, these projects that are happening, where young black and brown folks in the city are working together with anchor institution leaders like pastors like the
leaders of the mlk Center like the leaders of the why the mca and say we want to create a project that addresses these particular issue issues we want to fight against path isolation. We want to talk openly and honestly about this in this again, you can see through our list. These are examples of that way. I was working with a young brother. He had a car, Lewis and the leader of the mlk Center. They they created a documentary called The Talking Gun Projects. If you click on the link or I can share with you, there of you are a guy that can be used at churches or a good to take to to refit a reimagined, the spaces to bring these type of voices in. We need the you know, I'm not calling MR. Brandon older we need the young brand is of the
world to come in and help U.S. Co create solutions. So what? So what we're saying is that we're going to do this well, it's not just medical interventions that those are necessary part of a hope. It's not just leadership development that's necessary. It's not just anchor institutions reimagined themselves, but we've got invite young folks in to Co create alongside no amount of time. Hand it back think you've got to add Thank you for for planning. And I think my colleagues have a couple questions, council McCormick and that will go to Casa Grace. Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN, thanks for the presentation. This was very interesting. I learned some things to which is great. I just wanted to go back to. We were talking about like. The inherent nature of folks and
whether it's right and like I was going major nurture in my head. And like background, stem background of my education, I mean, or a spicy individuals. So right like that, divergent and I grew up in a home where my and mom was a family social, right. So like my contacts. And it was very different. When it comes as some of those things. But I was think like. Kaci folks, we're not all like there's usually a combination of some sort of things rate we have and we have the environment that we live in 2. And it's like we take all of these variables and put them together. Whether it's nature nurture and underneath that and build a unique, but then diagram for each of us only talking about is it going to be one answer for everybody like there never is right
because things are layered over each other. So much I see is like moving Venn diagram that goes together. So like I don't know how you guys think about it, but that's where my bring those when I think about like trying to solve these problems and finding root causes cause there's not a one and all fixed rate and when it comes to like what our charges with like our dollars and our and what we can do in ordinances and stuff like great, like how do we solve that rate? And it's so hard because we can't always see that wanted to stuff. So and then going back to things that are like early in the conversation is stem background. A quantitative girl, right? Like we're giving the data the numbers and excel in a happy person. But there's a qualitative side that I'm an educator. So I know that that is like such a big component because they're not right.
Issues are the same. And I love the work that you're doing like. Dive into this and figure out what those solutions are and how. Can make our communities better. And thank you, Brenda, for your work because I I work in higher education. But like when I say something, I can talk to him blue in the face. But one of my older students as it to a younger student, they're like. Light bulb and I'm like, you know, it's am I Facebook now? So. That's a grace. Thank you, CHAIRMAN. I'm just really curious about the religious and want to know if that's you know, like the last 10 years, the last 50 How how long has this happened? Because I have course in my day you kind of had to go to church. But you don't. You write. So I'm curious to know
if the institution itself is just not marketing to and I mean, because you appreciate audience, literally or or is it that we found new things to do are what's what's going on there? Because you're right. That one point was important. Fact. Only reason why I'm here today. Guy by the name of Reverend Dr, Andrew j Brown who has street named after him. Baptize 16 and I've following his footsteps trying to be member of our community that gives back in a meaningful way. In fact, granted, he's one of my guys to branded Iran, James, that those the 3 amigos, guys who I had a chance to spend some time with consider amenities. I'm really happy to And you talk a lot more you have today as was going on here. But yeah, if you if you don't today, I'm sure that really at this is a trend that we've
been seeing for about the last 25 years. Really that the and this is across the recent across the board. This is the cross, you know, Protestant like everyone we've seen disinflation happening that people are looking for other means to a 10 to social physical and emotional well-being. Right. And so are spiritual beings. They've left these more traditional religious spaces. However, you know, black and brown folks have actually there. They have left at I do at us. I believe less steep decline Other folks are leaving much, much more rapid pace from losing seasons. Black and Brown folks in general are you know, at a slower pace. Nonetheless, though, one of the things that folks come up with is that these churches have not kept
up with some of the critical issues and concerns that these audience are addressing. Right. So this might be anything from, you know, gender or sexuality, but also as easily as like, you know, thinking about new ways of thinking about life and death and the afterlife to logically folks are looking for other solutions, you know, socially and costly folks have other concerns. And so part of what I think we're seeing is that as people Disa filly 8, though, they are, there's still the question of where will they find places and spaces to go because with the data suggest is that that they still have questions, they're still interested in community. They still billet believe in a higher power. So that's something that's on that
there's that's about the institution, the way that it's currently structured. That's the problem. It's not the larger questions. I think that's the same thing about schools. We really ask young folks what like about they want to do and what they want to be and the questions they have. They have deep questions about science and math and and history. Format of the school is what is what pushing them out, how it is presented how many times our folks want to test the right things of that nature. It's not that they interested in GOD or an interest in and And so we've got we've got to think about this affiliation as a real kind of institutional issue that we've not move forward in answering questions in the format that would be
reasonable and amenable to the population that we want to states in the seats. Maybe my MR. CHAIRMAN can chime a little bit on that, too. Yeah, this is this is a little bit up. My has a really late still to this affiliation and especially with anchor institution within the black and brown communities. Absolutely resonate with with what? Cayman's a shared around the black Brown communities. This affiliate the lower rate. But also don't want to to confuse dis affiliation with a desire for community and space to yes, this affiliation does not always mean I don't believe GOD. Is correct? Means I don't believe GOD in the context what you present it I think the challenge for us as
hundreds 2 shuns as faith institutions is how do we reinvest in communities in a way that is transformative that many of us grew up experience. We just came through Resurrection Weekend, right? Many of us are remembers a child growing up practice and model that use a speech. No, I get to I love that. Use a speech every Sunday, That's a part off the space where we are formed. And if we have a generation that's missing that opportunity, whereas what we presented for them to So that's that's all I'll say on that. I do want to invite any of the conversation. I resonate a bit with this in the space of
education have been served as a principal off alternative schools. I made a decision early in my career to working on that turned Senate and serve as an alternative principle for more than 18 years. One of the things that I would share with my staff every year to and professional development is around. If a child does not know how to read, what do you do? You teach If a child does not know how to do math, we teach them. But if a child does not know how to behave. We punish them. And so it's easier when it comes onto behavior to resort to punishment instead of teach it. And so what I'm hearing tonight is as a council as community members, what are ways in which we can engage in community to help young people
to learn behaviors that a more adaptive to our communities. I made it a state. Note here to highlight impact of social media on all of this. We haven't really talked about that, right? How social media has help to kind of. Speed up these maladaptive behaviors because of what we see often we included 2 early around. You know, some of our young people experience and traumas in their life traumatic experience and a traumatic episodes. But we have a generation that lives in the Straw. So as a kid growing up. I don't remember a child died when I was a kid. Remember my first 18 years of life ever go into a home going celebration.
4 person younger than 20. And for many of our young people. That is a cycle in which they live. So death has been normative. And violent death. From gun violence from crime. And so how do you address how do we address some of the root causes that will end up. With some of our young people. Doing things that might cause them to get caught up in the system. So this will be my final We have to. In games prioritized and invite the young people that nobody wants to talk to. A lot of times programs and structures that reflect leadership. Want the safe kids. They want the kids with minimal exposure to violence or chronic trauma or
poverty. All these things. We are not intentionally prioritizing the young people that have the most levels of wisdom on these topics if I'm talking about gun violence, prevention, I don't want to talk to a kid who hasn't held a gun, shot a gun rob somebody. I need you to have monitor. I mean, have a probation officer and I'm used to have a curfew or you're going to end up in juvenile right? But you have the most relevant experience is to provide solutions. Lot of times we do not invite them to the table. So I'm leaving all of our community members, our media outlets, we have to be able to stop this negative application of one and done stereotypes and not offered
grace redemption because I have worked with more young people that had countless felonies that I would trust with my life are some of our elected officials who swore exactly. And I think I want to just add to Brennan said and what Dr Perkins COUNCILMAN Perkins said, you said, you know, math can be taught. You said that, you know, reading can be taught we also believe here that hope can be taught hope can be facilitated we invest in these interventions. What we're doing is teaching that like teaching that you are not defined by one activity, teaching that there are pools and resource in our community to help you re imagined who you want to be and we and who you and your family, your community. Candy. We believe that our institutions have pass a city and that we're going to use that capacity to speak to the
most pressing needs and not those needs that can be resolved or with with with other tools, other resource. And so believing that you can teach old. And that's what when and we want to invest money. And because that is, again, like I said, I idea not something that we can just talk about lead tonight that we can actually invest and actually incentivize are at this And that's why was just picking on the black churches. COUNCILMAN Perkins, I'm I'm thinking on all of institutions, the you know, the ymca, one who don't want people there, you know, actually, I museums that supported by state and, you know, funding. We've got we've got to incentivize them to be purveyors of hope to open up their doors to make space for
those who have not often been allowed to be inside and to be a part of re-imagining a city where all of can live and flourish. CHAIRMAN Thank you, MR. CHAIRMAN appreciate each one of you would DR. Gregory Doctor, talk to the Moon's and MR. Randall, MR. Spidey, appreciate this very informative information. It. I believe everything I've heard tonight. My concern has always been how do we take this information and turned into something concrete that we as a council who have limited options. Limited funds to invest primarily and to kind of the nuts and bolts of running a city versus more of these. Softer cognitive science, if you will, of how
to manage the people in the city and how do we control the behavior of the people when we're geared toward making sure their street you're driving on is solid. The trash is picked up. Your snow is plowed. So would encourage you to really try to see how the various that you are working on or that you hope to work on or that you think are positive how they would kind of. Ashun fit into our current structure. You know, we just mentioning a few of the things that I'm sure this is not an exhaustive list by any means. But, you know, we're expanding our crisis intervention teams to the behavioral health programs. You know, I think
that's a big plus. And it's going to 24, 7 coverage and we're not yet county wide, but that's our goal. And hopefully we're on track to do that. You know, we have the peacekeepers and you talk about the hospital violence. You know, that's exactly where the peacekeepers are there at the hospital bed asking the gunshot victim. What can you tell us? Don't send your brother out after the person. You know who shot you? Things like that. And I think that's where we can add some grease to the pump and I don't know if we have the where with all the tools to do a lot of heavy lifting in the cognitive therapy area. For example, because we have, for example, one limit the types experience with these crisis intervention, mcat is getting sufficient professionals. All right. To be available. Saturday morning at 3 o'clock on a county wide basis. You
know, that's what kept him cat 9 to 5 Monday through Friday it was a running joke. If you're going to have a crisis, whatever it be, make sure you have it during company time. Otherwise there's no one there to help you. You know, that's it sounds ridiculous. And it is ridiculous. We need to stop. We need to cure that. And my challenge is how do we take all your valuable work invaluable know-how and translate that into something that we can help support particularly fund. Because I you know, I'll show my age here because I MAY well be the oldest one in this entire room. But no, I got your is 1000 points of light George Bush senior. He admitted. Early as a government. We
cannot solve our problems. We can help address them. It takes of it back to Hillary Clinton. It does take a village. There's going to be 1000 points of light out there. The church is the organization's, the mentors, the leaders, the schools, the police, that form the village of form, the fabric that supports the village and supports our youth. Because without it, as you said, also addressing the most critical, the weakest links in the chain. We don't address those. The chain breaks and the fabric breaks the support structure for society breaks. So we need to focus on those. And how do we take our limited resources and addresses greatest needs? I know this is very but that's a challenge we have as a governing body is how do we take what we know are big problems and try to see what we can do about So
but I appreciate all work that very valuable. And please keep it up. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. All right. Thank you. And the comments from. The audience. Thank you for presenting to us tonight. Thank you for allowing us to wrestle a bit with this CHAIRMAN Boots. What we don't have an option what we don't have an funds. I do think we have an influence. All right. And my charge for for my colleagues is. I know we can solve all the problems and no, we don't have all the money as as a a city, but we do have influence across the city and across with individuals I young people are important to us communities important. Thank you, young Brandon for being here for young. For being here because you allow
us to put a name and a face to what can be sometimes a very cognitive conversation. So thank you for being here. I recognize the work that we've done as a city and we continue to do in pouring into addressing root causes. Your presentation to me tonight says that there's so much more for us to do. And so thank you for charging us. Thank you for challenging us. Thank you for being PRESIDENT. Thank you for colleagues for being here tonight. If it is and nothing else. We get to close. Thank you.