Safety Tips for Community Outreach

The relative danger of the streets an outreach team roams depends on the neighborhoods or areas in which they work. Indeed, safety measures may vary slightly among agencies and different outreach teams, but some general principles apply. Among them:

Never work alone. Outreach workers say they always use the buddy system, working in teams of two or sometimes three. A partner buffers their partners from distractions around them, helping them to focus on their conversations with people. Working as a team can also protect outreach workers from false allegations of misconduct.

Let people know who you are. Always introduce yourself to people in the neighborhood you’re working. 

Don’t dress to impress. Outreach workers say they don’t wear jewelry or clothing that will make them stand out. 

Pare down the personal items you carry. Carry just your car keys, identification, cash, and her cell phone in her pockets. That way, if you ever have to leave her backpack behind, all the items you needs are with you. By leaving their wallets behind, you can respond honestly to panhandling.

Be consistent, trustworthy, and ethical. Be a consistent figure on the streets and just kind of let them know we’re there if they need our help.People will protect outreach workers when necessary.Keeping high ethical standards and professional boundaries (no business with clients, no seeing them outside of work time, no spending time alone with them) has a similar effect.

Be a good observer. When you get somewhere, you don’t have to jump in right away. Drive through. Observe.

Share what you know about specific people. Some reasons to stay away from certain people might include a person’s recently broke the law or using heavy drugs that make them unsafe to be around.

Don’t get lulled into complacency.

Know the “gatekeepers.” These are people known and trusted in the neighborhood, and they can include convenience and other store owners. These people will have a feel for the community because that’s their livelihood. They’re your safety net when you need them. Gatekeepers can assist outreach staff, intervene if staff find themselves in conflict with community members, and vouch for street outreach workers’ motives.

Keep an eye on neighborhood safety levels. A drug bust, an explosion of violent crime—knowing these things have happened recently in a neighborhood might make you reassess whether to send outreach workers there on a particular day. This requires a relationship with the local police department, as these potential issues may be unbeknownst to us and you can also call the police department to before hand to see if there was any reported crime that day or the night before.

Establish a code word. Mentioning the secret word or phrase signals that the team should leave immediately for a safer place. A codeword might be agreed upon by partners, or it might be shared among everyone at the agency.

Know when to back off. Outreach workers say they stay away from the scenes of drug trades or other illegal activities. They avoid anyone with a weapon, people fighting, or someone obviously drunk or high. Things to look for: a tense look or facial expression, yelling or cursing, and aggressive behavior.Looks for signs in crowds as well as in individual behavior. Is a group of people acting loud and rowdy? Are people tense and yelling, or are they just goofing around? Have you spent a good amount of time trying to calm people down to no effect? Carry a first aid kit because you may be able to help the injured.

Show extra caution in isolated areas. Agencies differ in their policies about sending outreach workers into highly secluded areas. Adult outreach workers who decide to go under bridges or into the woods should consult with outreach workers from other agencies to discuss potential risk factors associated with those locations.

Don’t give out personal phone numbers or talk about personal things. 

Use basic deescalation techniques when confronted by angry or aggressive community members. These are simple methods for defusing a tense situation. For instance, a worker might respond to an angry person by saying, “I understand where you’re coming from. How can we help you?”

Take care of yourself, and encourage your partner to do the same.

Follow this link to the complete and detailed information... http://ncfy.acf.hhs.gov/tools/exchange/street-outreach/safety.