The Champaign Community Coalition is a county organization of organizations that includes:
...local government; law enforcement; juvenile justice; behavioral health; education; child welfare; and community based service providers. This network is designed to identify critical community issues that impact the lives of youth and their families. Effective Systems of Care are family-driven, youth-guided, strength-based, culturally competent, and trauma informed in its philosophy and operation.What they do can be quickly understood from their latest priorities:
The Executive Committee of the CCCC provides overall leadership, determines priorities, oversight on activities and facilitates community conversations. Staff support for the project and to the Executive Committee is housed at the Champaign County Mental Health Board.
To promote, inform and facilitate the priorities of the CCCC, three working sections are organized to coordinate activities. These three sections are: Healthy Youth and Families; Community Justice; Education and Youth Development. The sections are the pathways to drive the work of the CCCC. Core priorities, goals and initiatives are identified through monthly community-wide meetings. Each of the three sections, have section leaders to facilitate meeting communication and organization.
A major focus in the CCCC philosophy is to identify, support and expand effective strengths based programs that exist throughout the community. Where that is not possible, new opportunities may be created. We don’t need to recreate what we already have in place.
Long story short it is an organization that many people thinking of good ideas for our community sometimes doesn't know already exists. Here are the meeting notes from 3/14/2018 if you want to get a feel for what their community wide meetings are like.Police Community Relations
- Promote and support and encourage
- Police/law enforcement leadership, engagement with officers
Mutual Advocacy
- Support racial justice initiatives
- Homelessness
- Trauma-informed community
- Youth Assessment Center
- Support mental health awareness
Community Engagement
- Walk As One events
- Racial Taboo
- Promote Coalition activities
- Targeted neighborhoods – support specific activities
Youth Development
- Summer jobs
- Arts/Recreational activities
- Educational initiatives (truancy discipline)
- Initiatives: 18-26 population
- Academic achievement
Community Violence
- CU Fresh Start
- School-based violence
- Trauma-based trainings
- Community-targeted Neighborhood Activities
Meeting Notes: 3/14/2018: Champaign Public Library 3:30pm
Today's meeting was at the Champaign Public Library. Meeting agenda printouts, additional information from various organizations and sign-up sheets were on the back tables.
Introductions. They mean everybody. Tracy Parsons led the meeting and introduced himself as the facilitator of the meeting before handing the microphone to the audience. All (rough guess) 60 audience members stated their name and the organization they were with, including a few who just stated "Urbana citizen" or similar if they weren't with an organization.
From area law enforcement agencies, government, social activist groups, faith based organizations, groups for mental health and other services in the area and related agencies... there were too many representatives from throughout the community to even really keep track of them all. Parsons started by remarking on how remarkable it is to have a community group like this and not to take it for granted.
"Good news" was next on the agenda where they announce good news. Today was a birth announcement.
Representatives of the area policing agencies gave updates on local crime, shootings, and Urbana's burglary rate declining after recent arrests of suspected repeat offenders from an average of one robbery a day to less than one a week. There has been a dramatic start to firearm homicides and shootings in the area noted by both Champaign and Urbana representatives who laid out active investigations and where a suspect was identified.
Unofficial criminal activity appeared to be much lower this year as there were fewer out of town revelers causing trouble and more local University kids celebrating more sensibly.
They plugged the City of Champaign "Youth Police Academy" and various are law enforcement "Citizens Police Academy" events (Cheat Sheet post here).
Anti-Immigrant cards encouraging people to report on suspected "illegals" in the area have been turning up regularly and re-appearing quickly at locations where they are removed. It's causing some fear and concern throughout the community. The police representatives didn't have any information on this and it may not be a police matter due to the nature of the cards not promoting any criminal activity.
A question was asked if there'd be child care at the police academy event for adults and it did not sound like there would be. Another person asked if previous participant evaluations of the program were available for new people to read, but the feedback sounded like it was only for internal improvement use at this time.
The next meeting will have more on Latinx issues and ICE in the community.
Coalition Priorities:
CU Fresh Start explained the process by which they call in those at risk of perpetrating and being victims of gun violence and the difficult odds they face to teach organizational skills, ensure they make it to appointments, evaluate and connect them with services and training, etc. They asked that those with resources to offer get in touch with them on everything from housing to employment. Everything takes resources.
A recent Racial Taboo screening event was discussed. 120 community members stayed for the conversations organized afterward and 83 evaluations were submitted. Organizers highlighted some feedback on what people took away from the experience. The noted an upcoming "Waking Up White" screening about white privilege and how to recognize it even while in the midst of it.
The Youth Assessment Center announced that it is moving to its new location April 2nd and will be having an open house probably in early May. More information on that on the Cheat Sheet here. A basic description (also a fact sheet here):
The Youth Assessment Center staff screen at-risk juveniles and link them and their families with the community’s support and restorative services. Law enforcement personnel typically make referrals to the Youth Assessment Center as an alternative to prosecution and to prevent further delinquent activities. Case managers consider station-adjustment charges, police officer or school official recommendations, family input, and restorative justice methods. (from their website)Peace and Resiliency Champions (formerly CU Neighborhood Champions) explained their name change and explained some of their training programs for organizations and providers who help people who have experienced trauma. More under Upcoming Trauma Training Events on their page here.
Youth Engagement: they are looking for creative collaborative ideas for youth engagement as we approach the warm summer months where idle hands with free time can be deadly. They're seeking ideas from organizations and individuals.
They especially thanked the Champaign County Mental Health Board that has provided the seed money for almost all of the projects and efforts being discussed here today.
Information Sharing:
The Youth and Family Peer Support Alliance explained what they are and what they do for families with children with mental illness. They detailed numerous support activities and connections to services. More information at their website here.
National Youth Gun Walkout Activities. A local counselor spoke on the children she's talked to about the issue locally. There is fear every day right here in our community. It's an everyday fear. Children are feeling unsupported by adults with authority and in power. They are dealing with an endless parade of naysayers telling them they're just kids and they don't know what they're talking about on these issues. They want to see action across systems, not just on staying safe from gun violence, but they want better government results across the board.
The March For Our Lives event is coming up March 24th and organized by local students. They are seeking support from the community:
If you are interested in speaking or performing contact uhanif@illinois.edu. If you are press and would like more information contact aghoganson@gmail.com. If your social justice oriented organization would like to be a community partner contact esinger@illinois.edu.With a few comments and questions the meeting wrapped up.
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