The Leadership, Intervention & Change Program, or LINC, was founded in 2011 as a community-wide, multi-disciplinary effort to reduce individual Group/Gang involvement and community violence among young people in King County, Washington. LINC uses the U.S.Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Comprehensive Gang Model as a framework. In collaboration with community partners from the areas of street outreach, juvenile justice, and education, LINC works with up to 200 young people annually who are involved wit or at risk of being impacted by violence. The Center for Children & Youth Justice convenes and facilitates LINC partners, staffs the multi-disciplinary teams that directly support young people, and hosts the annual LINC conference.

For many young people, disengagement from school and a lack of connection to family and friends creates a gap that can easily be filled by gang or unhealthy group activity, and sometimes violence. Gangs and similar, but more informal, groups are a dangerous haven for youth, taking the place of family, school, and other opportunities. King County is confronting a growing crisis—5,000 youth and young adults in King County belong to nearly 90 different gangs. For these young people, it’s not just their futures at risk, it’s their lives.

Sam was recently suspended from school for bringing weapons to school and wearing gang colors. A school counselor has talked with him about conflicts with his peers and concerns from his parents of running from home and missing school. Recognizing the risk of Sam’s current situation, the counselor referred him to the Youth Leadership, Intervention & Change (LINC) program. Now, Sam has a team of supportive professionals helping him build healthy relationships and distance himself from gang involved peers, attends school regularly, and engages in counseling to get support for the trauma he has experienced. With this support, he sees a different path he can follow to be successful and safe.