Program Components
COMPASS works with youth, giving them the tools they need to succeed in education, employment, and life. We embed Cognitive Behavior Theory in everything we do.
In times of peace, COMPASS Peacebuilders canvass the street, connecting with young people and building trusting relationships. During times of crisis, we work in the community to de-escalate the tension and build peace. We are the only community-based violence interruption program in Hartford.
Many of the youth we serve are disconnected from education; others are under-credited or overaged and at risk of dropping out. COMPASS Education Specialists work with youth, reconnecting them to education, whether in traditional classrooms, earning their GED, or obtaining licenses and attending trade schools.
Job training programs play a crucial role in enhancing the professional skills and employment preparedness of opportunity youth, helping to decrease unemployment rates. Completing a Job Readiness Program can also result in higher income for opportunity youth.
With this in mind, COMPASS has created its Four-Track Workforce Framework, designed to equip our youth with the necessary tools for successful entry into the workforce.
Track 1, Job Readiness, begins with youth exploring careers and practicing workplace readiness skills, such as emotional regulation. Youth in Track 1 complete a resume and practice interview skills.
Training For Employment, Track 2, provides youth with a safe environment to practice professional habits and emotional regulation skills learned in Job Readiness. Youth work alongside COMPASS Job Specialists, who offer tailored coaching and support. This stage allows youth to learn from their mistakes without fear of losing their job. Youth in COMPASS’s Training for Employment Program earn a paycheck, fostering a sense of pride in their work.
External Workforce-Based Learning, Track 3, provides youth with hands-on work experience through an employment partnership. During this track, youth continue to develop their professional and hard skills while building their capacity for long-term employment.
Finally, in Track 4, Pathways to Careers, COMPASS Job Specialists support long-term employment and career advancement through job retention coaching, credentialing, and connections to sustainable career paths.
Enhancing job readiness and increasing earning potential reduces the likelihood that a youth will become involved in the criminal justice system. Meaningful employment allows youth to envision a future in which they can feel safe, live peacefully, and reach their full potential.
Using evidence-based curricula and Cognitive Behavior Theory, our staff helps youth understand the connection between what they feel and what they do. Our Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Peacebuilders provide life-saving skills, allowing youth to slow down, stop, and focus on what’s in front of them to make better decisions.
Trauma experts know It takes more than just medical intervention to treat young people injured by community violence. They also know that the best time to improve lives and reduce retaliation and recidivism is during the “golden hour” when a patient arrives in the emergency room. COMPASS’s Crisis Response Program is designed to meet victims of community violence during that “golden hour” at the bedside in the emergency room. Using a trauma-informed approach, our team advocates for victims of violence and their families while in the hospital.
Upon discharge, the team works with the youth and their families to develop a plan that meets their safety needs and provides case management and physical and emotional healing services. COMPASS is proud to be a member of HAVI, The National Health Alliance for Violence Intervention. Hospital Intervention Programs promote survivors’ physical and emotional recovery.
“When working with the youth in my TEP group, I focus on accountability. I instill in them the importance of honesty in their actions and holding themselves accountable to their words.
The way I interact with them models the behavior I want to see them demonstrate.”
The way I interact with them models the behavior I want to see them demonstrate.”
Jose Gonzalez, Training for Employment Supervisor