Programs and Services
At YouTurn, the foundation of our work is outreach – the act of raising awareness and extending services to highest risk adolescents and young adults that might not otherwise access the services. A key component of YouTurn’s outreach activities is that our team is not stationary, but mobile.
Our team works in the neighborhoods and schools most impacted by youth violence to provide the following programs and services:
Violence Interruption, Intervention and Suppression
When violence occurs, YouTurn’s team works to reduce the possibility of further violence.
Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Sometimes, it just takes a third party to help resolve a conflict. YouTurn’s team members are approved State of Nebraska Mediators.
One-on-One Case Management
YouTurn’s team supports youth in developing individual Risk Reduction/Violence Prevention Plans that guide their work together. The plan gives youth ownership of the process and the outcomes of their work with YouTurn. Community referrals are a huge part of how YouTurn supports behavior change.
Outreach to Adolescents in Schools
YouTurn’s team partners with area schools to provide mentoring and advocacy.
Hospital Trauma Response
YouTurn’s team works closely with two area hospitals (CHI Health and Nebraska Medicine) to provide support and information to families following an incident of youth violence.
Community Engagement
YouTurn sponsors, organizes and participates in community events, violence prevention rallies and forums to promote a strong message of violence prevention. The YouTurn team distributes public education throughout the community to raise awareness and to convey the message that violence is not acceptable.
Education and Training
The YouTurn team offers individual, family, group, community and service provider training, workshops and presentations.
Basic and Family Mediation/Youth Victim Conferencing
In collaboration with the Concord Mediation Center, YouTurn team members provide basic and family mediation and victim youth conferencing mediations. A Victim Youth Conference (VYC) is one example of a Restorative Justice Practice. A VYC is a dialogue between a youth, victim (or victim surrogate), family and other support persons who come together during a joint conference to discuss how the crime affected all parties. This allows the victim to express themselves to the youth, and the youth to understand the full impact of their decision.
“Helping one person might not change the whole world, but it could change the world for one person”.