Memorandum — Neighborhood Services and Education Committee (nse), April 9, 2026

TO: NEIGHBORHOOD

SERVICES AND

EDUCATION COMMITTEE
FROM: Jon Cicirelli
SUBJECT: See Below DATE: March 23, 2026
Approved Date:
4/1/2026
SUBJECT: San José Youth Empowerment Alliance, Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together, Safe Summer Initiative, and Youth Intervention Services Annual Report

RECOMMENDATION
Accept the annual report on the San José Youth Empowerment Alliance, Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together, Safe Summer Initiative Grant, and Youth Intervention Services programs for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.

SUMMARY AND OUTCOME
Key SJYEA successes and outcomes to address youth violence, crime and indicators of healthy youth development for the 2024-2025 program year include:
 Youth connection to caring adults increased by 3%, with 92% of Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together grant participants reporting they have an adult they can go to who cares about them, and 90% of Safe Summer Initiative Grant participants reporting they feel connected to a caring adult.  Three out of four priority schools experienced an overall 5% reduction in chronic absenteeism
 Safe School Campus Initiative Level 1 incidents, the most critical category, decreased by 11%. This percentage reduction indicates earlier identification and intervention of emerging concerns, with more incidents addressed at Level 2 and Level 3 before escalating to violence.
 San José Works’ applications increased by 6% while program completion rates improved by 5%, demonstrating strengthened youth engagement and follow-through.

NSE COMMITTEE AGENDA:

ITEM:
4/9/26
(d)2

NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES AND EDUCATION COMMITTEE
March 30, 2026
Subject: San José Youth Empowerment Alliance, Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together, Safe Summer Initiative Grant, and Youth Intervention Services Programs Annual Report

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 Juvenile arrests decline 5% compared to 2024, totaling 771 in 2025.

National data indicates concerns among early adolescents (ages 10-14) related to violence and firearms, despite youth arrests for violent offenses remaining below historical levels. For example, there were an estimated 38,731 juvenile arrests for violent crime nationwide in 2024, with roughly 15,987 juvenile arrests involving weapons offenses, including carrying or possessing weapons.1
Locally, Santa Clara County reflects some of these trends. According to the 2024 Santa Clara County Juvenile Justice Data Book published by the Probation Department, there were 2,281 juvenile arrests (ages 6-18) and citations in 2024, a 4% increase from 2023, though totals are considerably below pre-pandemic levels.2 While the total number of arrests slightly increased, the number of youth entering the system (unduplicated arrests) increased by 10%. This suggests that more individual youth are being arrested, but each youth is being arrested less frequently on average. This shift, combined with increased system involvement among younger juveniles, signals a concerning trend that may require different targeted strategies. In San José, juvenile arrests (ages 6-18) decreased by 5% as there were 771 arrests in 2025, compared to 813 in 2024.3 These local and national trends indicate that although overall youth violence remains at historically low levels, certain populations and age groups are experiencing increases in serious offenses. National data show growing involvement among younger juveniles (ages 10-14).4 The pandemic disrupted long-standing declines in violent crime, underscoring the urgent need for proactive, data-informed youth violence prevention and intervention strategies.

Compounding these challenges, recent school closures in the Alum Rock School District and the Franklin McKinley School District during the 2025-2026 school year, along with anticipated closures in the San José Unified School District for the 2026- 2027 school year, are expected to disrupt students, families, and neighborhoods further.

School closures can destabilize students, interrupting support systems and increasing the need for accessible youth development and family support services in the impacted areas.

San José is home to 997,395 residents, of whom 239,656 are youth and young adults ages 5 to 24. Of this population, 17,872 live in San José Youth Empowerment Alliance 1 https://counciloncj.org/who-gets-arrested-in-america-trends-across-four-decades-1980-2024/ 2 Annual Juvenile Justice Data Book 2024 - https://files.santaclaracounty.gov/exjcpb1486/2025- 12/cy2024_juvenile_probation_data_book_finalv2_1.pdf
3 https://www.sjpd.org/records/crime-stats-maps/police-dashboards 4 OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book: Juvenile Arrest Trends — https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/statistical-briefing-book

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(SJYEA) designated Priority Neighborhoods.5 During the 2024-2025 program year, SJYEA Youth Intervention Services (YIS) and Community-Based Organizations, through the Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together (BEST) and Safe Summer Initiative Grant Programs (SSIG), served 13,045 participants. Collectively, participants received 460,472 hours of service also referred to as Units of Service.6 Through coordinated investments in violence prevention and intervention services, and the implementation of the Children and Youth Services Master Plan (CYSMP), SJYEA has provided a comprehensive roadmap to improve outcomes for children, youth, young adults, and their families. The Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services Department (Department) serves as a convener, direct service provider, and funder playing the critical backbone role for SJYEA. The Department has established clear timelines for program deliverables, created measurable performance targets, has committed to ongoing evaluation and transparent reporting, and makes data-driven program adjustments to respond to evolving community needs and conditions.

BACKGROUND
The San José Youth Empowerment Alliance (SJYEA) serves as the City of San José’s collective impact model to advance its violence prevention, reduction and gang intervention strategy. SJYEA’s success is grounded in the convening of two key crosssector leadership bodies: the Policy Team and the Technical Team (Figure 1). These bodies guide strategy development and operational implementation. Additionally, SJYEA advances this work by delivering direct services through the Youth Intervention Services Program (YIS) and by administering the Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together (BEST) and Safe Summer Initiative (SSIG) grant programs. 5 Priority Neighborhoods are areas in San José that disproportionately experience poor health and safety outcomes for youth, including gang-related crime. Priority Neighborhoods Map - https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/9e841559b6af48dda71f554421582551?disable_window_focus =true
6 Units of Service are measured by multiplying the number of participants served by the number of sessions provided by the hours spent delivering the services.

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Figure 1: San José Youth Empowerment Alliance Structure SJYEA’s direct service and grant-funded programs serve youth and young adults ages 6-24 who demonstrate the highest levels of need and are at the greatest risk of involvement in violence.

Within the Community Services Division, YIS delivers direct services to youth and young adults to prevent, reduce, or interrupt at-risk behaviors by providing targeted support, mentorship, and resources on school campuses and in the community.

As a funder, the Department partners with dedicated and experienced communitybased organizations through the BEST and SSIG grant programs7 , providing
prevention, intervention, and youth development programs and services. To ensure a seamless continuum of care, these grant-funded services are intentionally aligned and closely coordinated with YIS (illustrated in Figure 2)8. 7 See Attachment A for a list of 2024-2025 BEST and SSIG Grantees 8 Detailed description of YIS and grant-funded programs, refer to Attachment B.

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Figure 2: San José Youth Empowerment Alliance Programs
SJYEA Strategic Plan
Throughout 2024–2025, SJYEA focused on aligning its 2023–2027 Strategic Plan9, with the City’s newly adopted CYSMP10. Building on this work, the Department incorporated CYSMP focus areas into an extension of the SJYEA Strategic Plan and presented this newly aligned model to the Policy Team in February 2025 and to the Neighborhood Services and Education Council Committee in March 202511. This extended plan establishes a unified vision to foster healthy, safe, resilient, and prosperous youth and families within asset-abundant neighborhoods.

This process resulted in a refined strategic framework that prioritizes resources, objectives, and key results with a focus on Priority Neighborhoods - communities where San José youth experience the greatest challenges related to violence. The framework 9 San José Youth Empowerment Alliance Strategic Plan 2023-2025 - https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/95719/638151651809830000 10 Children and Youth Services Master Plan (2024-2027) - https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/126690/638991649877470000 11 FY 23-24 San José Youth Empowerment Alliance, Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together, Safe Summer Initiative Grant, and Youth Intervention Services Programs Annual Report. - https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=14128830&GUID=EA3C0AB7-7E85-4F0B-8A53- 8D265660D82E

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also intentionally addresses disparities impacting youth and families in these communities and informed the development of the SJYEA Strategic Plan for July 2025 through June 2027.

Table 1 shows the alignment with the CYSMP focus areas and the SJYEA strategy pillars and objectives.

Table 1: Strategic Workplan Extension Objectives
SJYEA
Pillars Prevention Intervention Diversion + Reentry Healing SJYEA
Objectives
Reduce chronic
absenteeism in
priority schools
Increase
engagement &
trust among
community,
schools, and law
enforcement
Increase job
placement
Increase access
to neighborhood
resources &
assets
CYSMP
Priority
Areas
Learning &
Empowerment
Safe, Clean, and
Connected
Communities
Meaningful
Sustaining
Jobs
Systems
Transformation:

City of San José
System of Care

ANALYSIS
This section outlines the key results of the SJYEA Strategic Plan, as well as the core program outputs and outcomes for YIS, BEST and the SSIG Grant Programs.

Table 2 below lists the SJYEA funding allocation by program that PRNS staff, non-profit, County, school partners carry out. Together, these funds support a coordinated continuum of prevention, intervention, and capacity-building strategies designed to reduce youth violence and strengthen outcomes for children, youth, young adults, and families.

Table 2: SJYEA Funding Allocation by Program
Program Funding Allocation
BEST Grants $2,824,825
Safe Summer Initiative Grants $579,312
Safe School Campus Initiative $1,261,596
Female Intervention Unit $452,108
Trauma to Triumph Hospital Intervention Program $318,302

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Capacity Building $220,650
Case Management Non-Personal / Equipment Support $128,402 Administration, Program Support, Grant Program
Evaluation $958,296
Emergency Fund $132,843
Subtotal-BEST Program Funding $6,876,334
Non-BEST SJYEA Program Funding $2,512,916
Total SJYEA Program Funding $9,389,250
Strategic Plan Key Results
Prevention – Reduce Chronic Absenteeism in Priority Schools Prevention aims to raise awareness, educate, and engage youth through positive services to increase protective factors. Attending and engaging in school is a key protective risk factor and indicator of positive social development, as they foster school connectedness, which is linked to reduced problem behaviors and increased resilience.

Since establishing the redefined Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) in July 2025, services through the Safe School Campus Initiative were implemented in September 2025 at four priority schools to address chronic school absenteeism. The Department continues to monitor and evaluate service implementation to address this objective and will report findings in the Spring of 2027 Annual Report. The 2024-2025 chronic absenteeism rates for the four priority schools selected are provided below in Table 3.

The selected priority schools are strategically identified as areas with the highest concentrations of youth violence incidents and chronic absenteeism. To address these challenges, Youth Intervention Services (YIS) staff provide consistent, on-campus support with a focus on improving attendance and addressing family circumstances.

This is achieved through daily engagement with school personnel and a stronger oncampus presence, provide mentorship, crisis mediation, and direct resource referrals for students and their families.

Priority levels are reviewed annually to ensure resources continue to be directed to schools with the greatest need. In Table 3, three of the four priority schools experienced an overall 5% reduction in chronic absenteeism12.
12 Decrease in overall chronic absenteeism was calculated by summing the total number of chronically absent students from the three priority schools and dividing by the total enrollment across the schools for both the 2023-2024 baseline period and the 2024-2025 school year.

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Table 3: 2024-2025 Absenteeism Rates at Priority Schools Objectives School
2023-2024
Baseline Data 2024-2025 Rate
Reduce
chronic
absenteeism
in priority
schools
High School 1 38% 33% ↓
Feeder School 1 23% 16% ↓
High School 2 24% 19% ↓
Feeder School 2 26% 30% ↑
Intervention - Increase engagement & trust among the community, schools, and law enforcement
Intervention focuses on building trust among the community, school, and law enforcement to create safer environments for youth. The City’s Youth Intervention Services (YIS) team consists of trained intervention specialists who provide a consistent, on-going presence to bridge gap between students, families, and partners, The scope of their work includes collaboration with school administrators and counselors to identify at-risk youth and provide immediate crisis mediation to prevent escalation of campus tensions.

SSCI responses are categorized into three levels based on the severity of the situation:
 Level 1: Incident in Progress – An immediate safety threat requiring urgent intervention, often involving a 9-1-1 response due to active violence on or around a school campus.
 Level 2: Incident Likely to Occur – Elevated tensions where a conflict appears likely, often based on credible information about a potential altercation.  Level 3: Potential that an Incident May Occur – Reports of tension or possible conflict that do not pose an immediate threat but require monitoring or mediation.

A key indicator of success from SSCI was the 11% decrease in Level 1 incidents, as shown in Table 4, the most critical category. Level 1 responses declined from 41% to 30% of total incidents, indicating that conflicts are increasingly being identified and addressed earlier at lower response levels. This shift shows that concerns are being identified earlier and addressed at Level 2 and 3 before escalating.

Overall, SSCI engagement is expanding and continues to grow, with incident responses rising 15% (from 574 to 674). This growth reflects the deepening trust and active collaboration between our community, school, and law enforcement.

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Table 4: Intervention Objectives and Key Results
Objectives 2023-2024 Baseline Data Key Results
Reduce % of Level 1
incident responses
proportional to all
reported Safe School
Campus Initiative
responses
41% Level 1 30% Level 1
24% Level 2 27% Level 2
35% Level 3 43% Level 3
Decrease the number of
incidents of youth
violence, injuries &
deaths
1,758 incidents of youth
violence
SJYEA is currently working
with SJPD on a data
collection plan outlining the
cadence and methodology for
SJYEA is currently working
with San José Police
Department (SJPD) on a data
collection plan.13
536 Injuries
7 deaths
Diversion + Reentry - Increase Job Placement
The Diversion and Re-entry pillar focuses on increasing job placements and providing career readiness to help youth successfully reintegrate into the community. During 2025-2026, SJYEA will collaborate with partners to strengthen tracking of employment outcomes for individuals following their reentry into the community after incarceration.

Recognizing that steady employment is a critical tool for providing stability after release from detention and incarceration, SJYEA’s San José Works and Clean Slate programs both work to increase job placements by helping youth find jobs and working to remove barriers to employment.

Table 5: Diversion and Reentry Objectives and Key Results Objectives 2023-2024
Baseline Data Key Results
813 Juvenile arrests in
2024 per SJPD14
771 juvenile arrests in 2025 per
SJPD
13 SJPD provides youth crime data to support this objective, along with additional data analysis for Technical Team and Policy Team meetings and to assist in identifying Priority Neighborhoods. The Department and SJPD will establish a data collection plan that outlines the cadence and methodology for these efforts. 14POLICE DASHBOARDS | San Jose Police Department, CA - https://www.sjpd.org/records/crime-statsmaps/police-dashboards

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Decrease youth
arrests and recidivism
rates
16% recidivism rate 12
months after program
completion15 for youth
served by Probation
during calendar Year 2023
Calendar Year 2024 will be
reported in September 2026
Increase number of
participants in career
& readiness programs
2,431 participants in
career & readiness
programs
To be tracked though the
CYSMP Meaningful &
Sustaining Jobs Priority Area
beginning April 202616
The County reentry program consistently delivers demonstrated strong employment outcomes for participants. across both fiscal years. In FY 2023–2024, the percentage of participants employed increased from 19% at entry to 66% at exit, a 47-percentagepoint gain. Similarly, in FY 2024–2025, employment increased from 12% at entry to 48% at exit, a 36-percentage-point improvement. Despite participants entering the program with lower baseline employment in FY 2024–2025, the program continued to significantly increase employment among participants by the time they exited services, highlighting the program’s effectiveness in supporting workforce readiness and economic stability among individuals returning from incarceration.

In alignment with the objective to increase job placement and participation in career readiness programs, the San José Works Program within the Youth Intervention Services demonstrated measurable growth during 2024-2025. Job applications for the San José Works program increased from 175 to 186 youth, reflecting expanded outreach and strengthened trust in workforce pathways. Program completion also increased from 142 to 150 youth, maintaining a strong completion rate that consistently exceeds the national average for similar youth initiatives.

Additionally, participation in the Clean Slate Tattoo Removal Program increased significantly, with 804 clients attending clinic sessions in 2024-2025, compared to 604 the previous year. By actively removing visible tattoo barriers that can limit employment, the program strengthens long-term job readiness and expands access to economic opportunity for young adults. These outcomes demonstrate a holistic prevention model that not only connects youth and young adults to employment pathways but also removes the barriers that prevent them from accessing and sustaining those opportunities.
15 Juvenile Juste Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) & Youthful Offender Block Grant (YOBG) CY2024 Annual Evaluation - https://files.santaclaracounty.gov/exjcpb1486/2025-
12/2024_jjcpa_yobg_evaluation_report.pdf?VersionId=LWS9HCa2HGWb0WI5weXfF0unEV8Z7L7j Recidivism rate for Santa Clara County Juvenile Probation Intervention programs. 16 Baseline data was manually collected by the Department through outreach to 15 agencies that provide career and readiness services.

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Healing – Increase Access to Neighborhood Resources & Assets The Healing pillar prioritizes eliminating institutional barriers to improve access to neighborhood resources and assets. While crime data measures physical violence, factors like blight, infrastructure, and homelessness significantly influence the community’s perception of safety.

Currently, the Department utilizes data from the City Council Focus Area Scorecard, the Public Health Department’s neighborhood profiles, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index to monitor priority areas, which include Valley Palms, Plata Arroyo, Seven Trees, and Roundtable. However, due to the uncertain cadence of data release from the County and the CDC, the Department will need to revisit and refine the objectives related to “Increased asset abundance score.” Table 6: Healing Objective and Key Results
Objectives 2023-2024 Baseline Data Key Results
Improve
perceptions of
neighborhood
safety by Council
District
CY2024:

Council District 7 score: 2.60
CY2025:

Council District 7 score: 2.61
Council District 5 score: 2.63 Council District 5 score: 2.72 Council District 3 score: 2.67 Council District 3 score: 2.81 Increase asset
abundance
scores for key
Priority
Neighborhoods
Valley Palms/SJ Apartments
 99% Social Vulnerability
Score
 Higher risk neighborhood
profile scores
The Department will need to
identify a different data source
for this objective as the
baseline data has not updated
their scores since 2023-202417
and potentially unreliable.

Plata Arroyo
 97% Social Vulnerability
Score
 Higher risk neighborhood
profile scores
Seven Trees
17 Data for this objective was pulled from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - Social Vulnerability Interactive Map - California 2022 - https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/place-health/php/svi/svi-interactive-map.html - and County of Santa Clara - Open Data Portal - Small Area Profile - Neighborhood Level 2023 - https://data.sccgov.org/Health/Small-Area-Profile-Neighborhood-Level-2023/mykk-z8mk/about_data.

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 91% Social Vulnerability
Score
 Higher risk neighborhood
profile scores
Roundtable/Great Oaks
 82% Social Vulnerability
 Higher risk neighborhood
profile scores
Implement nowrong door
service delivery
pilots at
Mayfair/Poco
Way and
Santee/Seven
Trees
neighborhoods
 One-time funding of $1 million
to pilot the “No Wrong Door”
framework was approved in
June as part of the 2024–2025
budget
Two Demonstration sites were
selected. Services will be
provided in Mayfair and Poco
Way neighborhoods and the
Santee and Seven Trees
neighborhoods. Services at
the Demonstration sites began
in January 2026
While SJYEA has demonstrated progress toward strategic work plan objectives and key results, collecting consistent and timely data across partner agencies remains a common challenge within the collective impact model. These challenges often stem from differences in data systems, organizational capacity, and reporting processes rather than a lack of willingness among partners to collaborate. Moving forward, SJYEA plans to assign an internal staff person to serve as a data manager and a facilitator, to strengthen coordination, manage the logistics of data collection, and reduce the reporting burden on partners. These roles will help improve the quality, consistency, and timeliness of shared outcomes data across the initiative.

Outputs
In the 2024-2025 program year, SJYEA programs served 13,045 participants and provided 460,472 hours of service or Units of Service18 (UOS) to youth and their families, schools, and neighborhoods throughout San José YIS delivers citywide programs that focus on addressing school-based violence incidents, female gang intervention, hospital-based intervention services, employment services, and tattoo removal. Services include on-campus crisis response, such as 18 Units of Service are measured by multiplying the number of participants served by the number of sessions provided by the hours spent delivering the services.

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mediation and intervention activities, gender responsive case management and youth development groups, and assistance for youth and young adults seeking removal of visible tattoos to support positive life transitions. YIS also delivers targeted, traumainformed services to youth and young adults who are at elevated risk of violence involvement or system contact.

BEST and SSIG Grant-funded programs provide a broader continuum of prevention and intervention services, primarily implemented in Priority Neighborhoods, and are designed to align with and complement YIS programs. Services include individual and whole family support services, street outreach intervention, school-based support groups, parenting skills, job readiness training, cultural and arts education, and youthled supportive programming.

In 2024-2025 the BEST funded services were evaluated by an external consultant, Resource Development Associates (RDA), and findings related to program outputs and outcomes are included in the BEST Grant Program Annual Program Evaluation Report19.

Table 7: SJYEA Program Participants Served
Program
2023-2024
Participants
Served
2024-2025
Participants
Served
Youth Intervention Services
(July 1, 2024- June 30, 2025) 2,398 3,572
BEST Grant
(September 1, 2024 – August 31,2025) 6,223 6,969
Safe Summer Initiative Grant
(June 1, 2025- August 31, 2025) 2,300 2,504
Total 10,921 13,045

Table 8: SJYEA Units of Service Provided
Program 2023-2024 UOS 2024-2025 UOS
Youth Intervention Services 57,971 58,510
BEST Grant 154,466 183,321
Safe Summer Initiative Grant 148,182 218,641
Total 360,619 460,472
19 Full BEST 2024-2025 Annual Evaluation Report

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Outcomes
Some program outcomes have been reported as part of the Strategic Plan Key Results section of this memo, including reductions in Level 1 school incidents and increases in San José Works applications and program completion rates. This section highlights additional program outcomes for YIS, as well as specific outcomes for the BEST and SSIG grant-funded programs. Through these focused intervention strategies, SJYEA’s framework stabilizes high-risk youth, interrupts cycles of violence, and improves longterm outcomes related to education, employment, and community safety.

Table 9: SJYEA Performance Outcomes
Performance Measure 2023-2024 2024-2025
Safe School Campus Initiative
% of school administrators that felt SSCI efforts at
keeping schools safe as good or excellent 95% 90%
% of school administrators felt SSCI met or exceeded
their needs 85% 86%
BEST Grant Program
% of youth reported that they feel safe in this program 92% 92% % of participants reported always or often wanting to
keep coming to the program 83% 82%
% of youth responded that there is an adult they can
go to who cares about them 89% 92%
Safe Summer Initiative Grant Program
% of participants felt SSIG was a safe program 89% 92%
% of participants felt satisfied with program 88% 88%
% of participants felt connected to a caring adult 84% 90% % of participants learned about the other resources 89% 87% Forward-Looking & Outcome Focused
SJYEA Strategy Enhancements
In Fiscal Year 2025–2026, the Department reestablished the SJYEA Interagency Working Group to strengthen interjurisdictional coordination, improve accountability, and enhance alignment of violence prevention, intervention and youth development efforts across City divisions and external partners. The working group serves as a structured

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forum to review data, assess emerging trends, coordinate responses, and ensure alignment across the City and County violence prevention and intervention continuum.

To strengthen data tracking and analysis, SJYEA has developed a new Climate Data Index (index) that integrates youth violence-related data from the San José Police Department, BeautifySJ Graffiti Reports, and Safe School Campus Initiative schoolbased incident reports. The Index integrates a comprehensive climate profile for Priority Neighborhoods, improving the analysis of trends and supporting data-informed decisions. This index will serve as one of the tools to guide the development of targeted action items during Technical Team meeting Breakout sessions and enhance the identification of and coordinated response to emerging youth violence issues.

In-House Program Evaluation
In August 2025, the Department’s Grantmaking for Community Impact team transitioned from using an external consultant to hiring an in-house, overstrength Senior Analyst to evaluate the 2025–2026 BEST Grant Cycle. Bringing this function in-house has generated cost savings while building internal, sustainable evaluation capacity. This shift has reduced reliance on specialized external consultants and enabled the Department to access real-time data to inform strategic decision-making and share insights with partners.

The Grant Making for Community Impact Unit has since leveraged this resource across multiple initiatives. The team is currently leading the development and implementation of the System to Achieve Goals & Empowerment (SAGE) database, enhancing evaluation tools for the BeautifySJ Grant Program, and partnering with YIS to revise program intake forms, screening tools, and participant surveys. The in-house evaluator also supports the CYSMP by advancing implementation of action items and aligning systems under the “No Wrong Door” approach.

Collectively, these efforts will strengthen the tracking and collection of program performance and outcome data, improve the timeliness of analysis, and support realtime informed decisions related to program enhancements and long-term strategic planning. As part of the 2026–2027 budget development process, the Department will propose extending the Overstrength Senior Analyst position to maintain evaluation capacity and support ongoing program improvement efforts.

Youth Services Data Management System Implementation
The Department is implementing a new multi-year youth services and data management system, SAGE database through a multi-year phased approach. Phase 1 focuses on internal YIS programs; Phase 2 expands implementation to BEST grant-

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funded programs; and Phase 3 would support the broader “No Wrong Door” system of care through deployment at designated partner sites as funding allows.

As part of this effort, the Department will continue to strengthen data collection, performance measurement, and documentation of collaborative efforts with communitybased partners. These improvements will enhance transparency, improve outcome tracking, and more clearly demonstrate the collective impact of SJYEA’s intervention strategies.

In response to the Neighborhood Services & Education (NSE) Committee Blue Memo (Recommendation #2 for 2025–2026)20, related to the CYSMP status report presented on December 10, 2025, the Department is providing an update on efforts to ensure broad access to referral software licenses aligned with the “No Wrong Door” framework and on standardization of financial aid application criteria.

Demonstration sites began implementation of the “No Wrong Door” system of care in late January 2026 and are currently in the early pilot phase. During this period, participating sites are testing the shared intake process, strengthening cross-agency referral pathways, and assessing overall system alignment within demonstration neighborhoods under the CYSMP. As implementation remains in its early stages, staff will conduct further evaluation to determine the staffing, training, data governance, and resource requirements necessary before recommending expansion of referral software access. This phased approach ensures that any future scaling is informed by lessons learned through the pilot and supported by adequate infrastructure, resources, and organizational capacity.

With respect to standardizing registration and financial aid applications across different departments, the Library and PRNS operate significantly different registration models for children, youth and families programming. Through a recent multi-year procurement process, PRNS expanded the use of the ActiveNet registration platform long used for seasonal community center classes and leisure programs with sports fields, tennis courts, Arcadia Ballpark, Family Camp at Yosemite and picnic reservations. This onestop online tool accompanies the Community Activity Guides that allow for a paper process for registration. Given the extensive fee-for-service programs delivered by PRNS, the ActiveNet system is a reliable platform for registration, payment transactions, and scholarship management. The Library manages its registration system as an eventspecific module within the Library website. Standardization across PRNS and Library would be a larger procurement project that is not being considered at this time. 20 December 2025 NSE - Memorandum from Councilmember Campos-12925 - https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=15018522&GUID=21E87FBB-3A7F-4F82-8820- 4E0DB862F82E

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Since no other Department charges a fee for children and youth programs, PRNS manages an established standard criteria for participation in its Citywide Scholarship Program. To qualify for the program, applicants may show that they are enrolled in at least one program from a list of other assistance programs, including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Section 8 rent subsidy, Food Stamps, Medi-Cal, Women, Infants, & Children (WIC), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), among others. By making participation in one of these other programs the eligibility criteria for the Citywide Scholarship Program, the application is streamlined, allowing applicants to avoid a more complicated income verification process.

Shifting Direct Services and Grant-Funded Services to a Youth Services and Support Continuum Model
The YIS and BEST Grant Programs are transitioning to a Youth Services and Support Continuum (YSSC) that prioritizes early intervention and intensive intervention services for ages 11 to 24 along with their families. This approach directs resources toward youth at the highest risk of violence involvement, ensuring interventions are targeted, actionable, and measurable. The SJYEA collective effort will continue to support prevention, diversion and reentry, and healing initiatives.

The YSSC framework serves as the foundation for the BEST 2026-2029 Request for Qualifications (RFQ) application,21 released in December 2025. The RFQ outlines the intended scope of work, including priority services, target populations, and a focused investment in designated geographic focus areas. It is designed to qualify communitybased organizations that align with the Department’s strategic priorities and program requirements, ensuring services are delivered where they are most needed and positioned for measurable impact. Implementation of the YSSC strategy will begin in the 2026-2027 program year.

Youth Intervention Services Expanding on Direct Service Delivery In 2025–2026, YIS scaled its citywide framework by enhancing service delivery, strengthening strategic partnerships, and increasing youth leadership opportunities.

Central to this expansion is a commitment to implementing evidence-based and evidence informed programming to ensure that all interventions are grounded in proven methodologies for reducing violence and supporting youth development. Key initiatives in 2025-2026 included:
21 Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together (BEST) 2026-2029 RFQ Application Document - https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/127413/639064014226530000

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 YIS transitioned the Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program, Trauma to Triumph, back in-house to enhance coordination, improve continuity of care, and strengthen alignment with SJYEA’s broader prevention and intervention strategies. Trauma to Triumph was previously operated by the nonprofit, New Hope for Youth, through grants provided by the State of California. The Trauma to Triumph program no longer met the scope of work for State of California grant funding so it was transitioned in-house to continue this work. This program provides bedside engagement and follow-up case management to youth and young adults impacted by violent injury, connecting them to supportive services to reduce retaliation and re-injury. By transitioning the program in-house, it streamlines our response times and ensures that our healing-centered practices are unified with the broader SJYEA mission.
 YIS will lead the new Saturday Night Lights initiative in partnership with the San José Earthquakes, San José Police Department, and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. As part of this effort, the San José Earthquakes will support futsal programming in selected Priority Neighborhoods, providing structured evening recreation, mentorship, and positive youth engagement during high-risk hours. This initiative is designed to strengthen community trust, activate neighborhood spaces, and increase access to safe, pro-social activities.  In summer 2026, YIS will launch a six-week Summer Leadership Academy designed to engage justice-involved youth in pro-social activities, leadership development, and community engagement. By providing structured programming during peak summer months the academy will focus on leadership development, life skills, career exposure, and pro-social engagement to reduce vulnerability to violence and strengthen protective factors. In partnership with the San José Police Department Crime Prevention Unit, the San José Fire Department, and additional San José Youth Empowerment Alliance partners, the program will expose participants to public service career pathways while fostering mentorship, accountability, and community connection. By investing in intensive summer engagement, the Department aims to disrupt cycles of justice involvement and build long-term pathways toward stability and positive youth development.  In addition, YIS will coordinate a citywide Violence Prevention Week in April 2026 in partnership with community-based organizations, schools, and public safety partners to promote awareness, youth leadership, restorative practices, and community healing. Through a collective impact model, the City of San José, SJYEA, schools, and community partners will lead eight days of school-based youth activations and community engagement events, including a Peace Walk with residents, neighborhood leaders, community partners, and City leadership.

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By centering prevention, de-escalation, and healing-centered approaches, the initiative builds trust across sectors, connects youth and families to critical resources and support, and strengthens equitable systems within schools and neighborhoods, intentionally shifting our approach from reactive response to proactive prevention.

Conclusion
The 2024–2025 results demonstrate continued progress in advancing the City’s youth violence prevention and intervention strategy through the collective impact of the San José Youth Empowerment Alliance. Through coordinated direct services, grant-funded partnerships, and data-informed strategies, SJYEA strategies are strengthening protective factors for youth, increasing access to supportive services, and contributing to improved outcomes in schools and neighborhoods. The Department will continue to build on this work by enhancing cross-sector coordination, strengthening data systems, and implementing the Youth Services and Support model to better target grant funded services to youth and families with the greatest need. Staff will continue to monitor program performance and report on outcomes via the Neighborhood Services City Service Area to ensure ongoing alignment with the City’s goals related to community safety and youth development.

COORDINATION
This memorandum has been coordinated with the City Manager’s Budget Office and the City Attorney’s Office.
/s/
Jon Cicirelli
Director of Parks, Recreation and
Neighborhood Services
For questions contact Olympia Williams, Deputy Director, Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, [email protected]
The primary author of this memo is Aurelia Bailey, Division Manager, Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, [email protected] ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment A – 2024-2025 SJYEA Grant Programs Grantee List Attachment B – SJYEA Program Descriptions
Attachment A: 2024-2025 SJYEA Grant Programs Grantee List Table A: 2024-2025 BEST Grantee List
Agency Name
1: Youth
Development
&
Leadership
2: PlaceBased
Intervention
& Diversion
Services
3: Vocational
& Job
Training
Services
4: Family &
Neighborhood
Strengthening
Support
5: Individual
& Whole
Family
Supportive
Services
Total
Award
Amount
Alum Rock
Counseling
Center, Inc.
$71,432 $71,432
Bay Area
Tutoring
Association
$58,986 $58,986
Bay Area
Women’s Sports
Initiative
$74,767 $74,767
Bill Wilson
Center $64,714 $98,941 $62,516 $226,171
Caminar $92,524 $103,219 $42,844 $238,587
Catholic
Charities of
Santa Clara
County
$192,514 $211,863 $284,009 $688,386
ConXión to
Community $22,315 $22,315
East Side Union
High School
District
$21,300 $21,300
Fresh Lifelines
for Youth $72,699 $42,662 $115,361
Girl Scouts of
Northern
California
$40,047 $40,047
Movimiento de
Arte y Cultura
Latino
Americana
(MACLA)
$26,412 $26,412
New Hope for
Youth $94,874 $211,863 $284,009 $590,746
San José Jazz $127,800 $127,800
SOMOS Mayfair $68,576 $68,576
Shine Together $90,855 $62,782 $153,637
The Art of Yoga
Project $90,916 $90,916
The Tenacious
Group $50,472 $50,472
Ujima Adult and
Family Services,
Inc.
$67,632 $41,284 $108,916
Total $1,328,835 $423,726 $98,941 $103,219 $820,106 $2,774,827 Table B: 2025 SSIG Grantee List
Agency Name Award Amount
Alum Rock Counseling Center $12,000
Bay Area Tutoring Association $24,000
Bill Wilson Center $12,000
Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley $24,000
Breakthrough Silicon Valley $9,600
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County $19,200
Center for Training and Careers $24,000
ICAN $19,200
International Rescue Committee $12,000
Life Skills Training and Educational Program $20,000
Logo Christian Fellowship Summer Camp $24,000
MACLA $12,000
Mama D 2nd Chance $12,000
New Hope for Youth $24,000
Positive Alternative Recreation Teambuilding Impacting Program (P.A.R.T.I.) $24,000
RC Mayo--Exodus Recreation Center $24,000
Sacred Heart Community Services $10,000
San José Hit Squad $19,200
San José Jazz $24,000
San José Museum of Art $10,000
School of Arts and Culture at MHP $8,000
SIREN $12,000
Ujima Family Services $12,000
Valdes Math Foundation $10,000
Vietnamese American Roundtable $9,600
Total $422,800
Attachment B: SJYEA Program Descriptions
Youth Intervention Services Program Descriptions
Safe School Campus Initiative
Safe Schools Campus Initiative (SSCI) is a partnership between the City of San José, the San José Police Department, and local school districts. Through SSCI, staff coordinate a crisis response and communication protocol aimed at preventing and deescalating violent incidents on and around school campuses. SSCI staff provide citywide gang mediation and intervention to reduce violence, identify and reach out to youth involved in gangs.

Female Intervention Services
Female Intervention Services is a gender responsive program that empowers, educates and advocates for girls and young women impacted by the justice system and gang violence. This program provides services to high-risk girls and young women ages 11–

24. The team provides specialized services to girls and young women in areas of delinquency prevention and gang intervention and diversion, utilizing an education curriculum informed by and addressing issues specific to girls.

Clean Slate Tattoo Removal
The City of San José Clean Slate program serves formerly gang-involved youth who have found visible tattoos to be a barrier in furthering their education and/or employment. We also assist youth with educational opportunities, job development skills, counseling resources, and information regarding how to utilize community resources.

Trauma 2 Triumph (T2T)
Trauma to Triumph program is a partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and Regional Medical Center aimed at reaching victims of gang violence within 48 hours of admission to the hospital, connecting them with critical services that can help break the cycle of violence.

San José Works
In partnership with the Work2Future Foundation, the program brings together community-based employers, allowing youth to gain work experience and deter involvement in gangs and crime throughout San José. San José Works provides summer jobs for eligible youth, working in City departments, community-based organization, and private sector employment partners.

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BEST and SSIG Grant Program Descriptions
Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together (BEST) Grant Program The Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together (BEST) grant program serves as the funding arm of the San José Youth Empowerment Alliance (SJYEA), supporting agencies that provide youth violence prevention and intervention services within the City of San José. Through this program, the City seeks to invest in services that expand the strengths of San José youth while reducing their risk of gang involvement & violence.

SJYEA is built upon collaboration and partnership, and the BEST program aims to strengthen this foundation by fostering strategic relationships with community-based organizations. The City recognizes that youth violence is a multi-faceted issue requiring a comprehensive and community-based approach supported by strategic partnerships of the BEST program. To implement this approach, the BEST Gant Program established a scope of services organized into five (5) Service Strategy Areas that were implemented from September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2025:

1. Youth Development and Leadership

2. Place Based Street Intervention

3. Vocational/Job Training

4. Family Strengthening

5. Individual and Whole Family Support
Through a diversity of evidence-based and evidence-informed violence prevention and violence intervention models, the BEST Grant Program aims to amplify each other’s strengths to improve the quality of life for our youth and their families.

Safe Summer Initiative (SSIG) Grant Program
The Safe Summer Initiative Grant (SSIG) has been in existence since 2008. The SSIG Program aims to provide or enhance recreational or educational opportunities not normally available to the Alliance’s Target Population during the summer months, June 1 to August 31, thereby providing youth a safe environment while keeping them active and engaged in positive activities.

The overall goals of the SSIG Program are:

1. To provide a safe environment for youth while keeping them active and engaged in prosocial behaviors during the months of June through August.

2. To provide enrichment opportunities not normally available to the Target Population during the summer months, thereby reducing learning loss; and

3. To facilitate the enrollment and transition of the children and youth participating in Summer Programs at their school site and/or youth center into after-school programs in the next school year.

The Safe Summer Initiative Grant program seeks to provide funding for new, previously funded SSIG programs, and/or enhanced summer programs that intentionally promote, encourage, and foster pro-social behaviors and lifestyles for San José youth. Services must be offered free of charge and provided in a culturally responsible manner to the entire target population, demonstrating fair and equitable practices for participants of diverse identities, including gender, age, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability.

All programs and curricula must be culturally relevant, be inclusive of the above, in addition to being linguistically diverse, trauma-informed, and immigrant welcoming.

Services may also incorporate youth-led services and/or activities that provide a safe space and empower young people to engage in collective activities that spark their interest and encourage them to be catalysts for positive change within their communities.

Neighborhood Services and Education Committee (nse)April 9, 2026

Neighborhood Services and Education Committee (nse)
April 9, 2026