Safe & Successful Youth Initiative

The Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) is a youth violence intervention initiative that operates in 14 Commonwealth of Massachusetts cities with the highest young adult crime rates. SSYI targets a small number of individuals, ages 17-24, that have been identified as “proven risk” or “impact players.” These individuals are determined by local law enforcement to be substantially gang-involved, most likely to be a victim or perpetrator of a violent weapons offense, or engaged in high-volume illegal activity. SSYI outreach workers reach out and develop a relationship with these individuals and then offer them a chance to redirect their lives through educational, employment, and behavioral health services. SSYI combines public health and public safety approaches for eliminating youth violence.

The 14 SSYI programs are overseen by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS). Commonwealth Corporation provides program, fiscal, and administrative management assistance to EOHHS and technical assistance to the 14 funded sites.

Additionally, In the spring of 2020, EOHHS launched the SSYI Human Trafficking (HT) grant program. Through this program, three nonprofit organizations provide survivor mentoring—services for human trafficking survivor mentees, ages 10 through 24, provided by staff mentors who are also human trafficking survivors. Mentees receive support with behavioral health, health, education, housing, financial literacy, employment, transportation, and other areas. The nonprofit grantees also provide training on human trafficking. Commonwealth Corporation provides administrative, including fiscal management, assistance to EOHHS for this initiative.