Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) is releasing this Request for Responses (RFR) pursuant to 801 CMR 21.00 in order to select one or more statewide vendors to perform an evaluation of the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI). Working with community coalitions, SSYI combines public health and public safety approaches to eliminate youth violence. SSYI requires the implementation of a coordinated intervention strategy focused on “proven-risk” young men who are identified by each city or town as the individuals most likely to be perpetrators or victims of shooting or stabbing violence. Specifically tailored to address gaps and needs, each SSYI city or town supports a targeted continuum of transitional services such as street outreach and engagement, needs assessment and evaluation, intensive case management, behavioral health counseling, and employment and education services and supports. Through these services, SSYI redirects young men who, absent a constructive alternative, might otherwise continue to contribute to street violence. The intent of SSYI is to reach and engage the highest impact individuals who are not effectively engaging with other violence prevention programs. The success of SSYI depends on a community-wide strategy that addresses youth violence at all levels of the risk continuum, in partnership with other violence prevention efforts such as the Shannon Community Safety Initiative and the Department of Public Health violence prevention grants.
