Roca, Inc.

We've got Rewire CBT on the brain at this year's Annual Breakfast event. Join us on May 2 for an inside look at the cognitive behavioral skills that can save young people's lives. When you buy a ticket, you help make their transformation possible. Learn more and RSVP: https://hubs.la/Q03brD1y0

Resilience is often celebrated—but what if this narrative, meant to uplift, is actually boxing people in? When we frame impacted communities solely through resilience, we risk reducing their stories to who is 'deserving' and who is not, overlooking the full complexity of their lives. What I appreciated most about sharing this story on ROCA’s Transitional Employment Program was hearing from the young women—their joy, their determination, and how they envisioned better futures. With ROCA’s continued support, they were learning to use power tools, building walls, and installing fences—reinforcing the soft skills they had developed before arriving on the farm, and ultimately beginning to manifest new beginnings for themselves and their families. They possessed a powerful sense of agency and possibility. Ricky, the Crew Supervisor, had moved from Massachusetts to Greater Hartford, and it was clear—from his interactions with the women and the stories shared about him—that he had built strong, trust-based relationships. One individual described him as, "One of the only men I could trust and feel comfortable around." He was genuinely invested in their individual transformation, and it felt as though they had known each other far longer than just three months. Shout out to the nonprofit professionals and service providers like Ricky who are leaning into their purpose and value, building trust, and driving positive change. Grateful for my colleague Joel Hicks-Rivera, LPC and the staff and young women at ROCA Hartford for their trust and helping me see the story we needed to share. #Storytelling #NonProfit #CommunityFoundation #NarrativeChange #Filmmaking #TransitionalEmployment #Philanthropy #Grantmaking

The Annual Breakfast is a unique opportunity to meet young people who are choosing to leave the streets and live beyond violence, and hear from them what transformation really means. Every ticket is a life-changing donation. Learn more and RSVP: https://hubs.la/Q03dpHcr0

Transitional Employment at Roca isn't just a jobs program, it's a behavior change accelerator where young people practice thinking, feeling, and doing differently. For the young women of Roca Hartford, that means getting out of the inner city and working with their hands at the beautiful 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm. Thanks, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving for supporting this partnership! https://hubs.la/Q03dxRGy0

Hot off the press: The evidence is mounting that cognitive behavioral interventions (CBIs) like Roca's Rewire CBT are effective at saving lives and reducing violence, so what's stopping them from scaling up across the country? Check out the new white paper from the Center for the Study and Practice of Violence Reduction to hear their take on how we can turn the tide. https://hubs.la/Q03cyzdL0

If you want to learn more about changing behavior to save lives, this webinar is not to be missed!

A dozen organizations came together this week for a Community Violence Resource Fair, connecting hundreds of East Baltimore residents with important resources. This kind of coordination is exactly what we need in Baltimore - when we work together, we make the community stronger. A big thanks to the University of Chicago's CVI Leadership Academy for their solidarity and for making this event possible. #CVI #community #solidarity

Jens Ludwig, director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab, asks this question: "If we have 400 million guns in America and they're not going anywhere anytime soon, then how do we get people to be less willing to use guns against one another?" Many violent crimes are impulsive, not rational. That's why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is catching on as an answer to that question at programs across the country. A recent study by the University of Chicago Crime Lab found that young people who received CBT from Chicago's Choose to Change program were nearly 40% less likely to be arrested for a violent crime. At Roca's we're seeing the same pattern with our non-clinical Rewire CBT. https://hubs.la/Q03bjNXb0

This year, 13 young men put on a cap and gown to celebrate making it all the way from the center of Baltimore's violence to their Roca graduation. A couple of the guys cracked jokes about not knowing what to think the first time their Youth Workers reached out to them. They've come a long way since then, and we're so proud! #CongratsGrads #Transformation #RocaBaltimore

Breaking: Rolling Stone covers CEO's work in advocating for the Reentry Assistance Bill (A.1.93), introduced by Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs, to provide $425/month for six months to help people secure jobs, housing, and stability after returning home from incarceration. Stay tuned as we head to Albany on March 4 to push for policies that truly support successful reentry in New York. People deserve real resources and opportunities in order to thrive. Read the full article: https://ceolink.co/4hUSD8Z