By Community Care & Justice Program

The Outreach Team of the Community Care & Justice program officially began receiving referrals from the South Orange Police Department and Rescue Squad on Monday, October 18. 

The Community Care & Justice program was initiated by South Orange Village President Sheena Collum and is a collaboration between the South Orange community, Seton Hall University and Essex County. The initiative seeks to “reimagine” traditional models of law enforcement through the larger lens of public safety and wellness with a greater emphasis on crisis prevention. To that end, Community Care & Justice seeks to engage the whole community – residents, first responders and newly hired social work professionals – in a more proactive, preventative, and collective approach to mental health and wellness and public health and safety. The program is led by Trustee Donna Coallier, chair of the Village’s Health and Public Safety Committee, and Dr. Juan Rios, Director of Seton Hall University’s Master of Social Work program.

Starting October 18, the Community Care & Justice Outreach Team is providing supportive counseling and case management services to community members impacted by issues such as mental health, substance use, domestic violence, sexual assault, homelessness and elder concerns. 

Once a referral is received from Village first responders, the social work team will outreach to the individual and/or family, conduct an assessment, and connect them with various supportive services and resources within South Orange and, more broadly, Essex County and the state. 

“We’re extremely excited to get started on this aspect of our community outreach,” said Kristin Miller, a professor in the Social Work Department at Seton Hall University and director of Outreach and Community Wellness for the Community Care & Justice program. “In many instances the police and rescue squad are called upon to address issues that present as acute and emergent, but are in many ways deep-seated, systemic and long-term. Issues such as mental health, substance use, homelessness, sexual assault and domestic violence are often better served by addressing these matters in a way that gets to the root of the problem and offers care and resources for underlying issues, not just currently manifest symptoms.” She continued, “Social work training provides us with the knowledge and expertise to more effectively address certain issues in the community. Our team will infuse social work values into our service to community members; these values include social justice, the importance of human relationships and the dignity and worth of each person.” 

In addition to Kristin Miller, LCSW and Assistant Director of Community Care & Justice Megan O’Brien, MSW, the Outreach Team includes three social work interns: Christina May (New York University), Monica Doliscat (Rutgers) and Krystal Halim from Seton Hall University. 

“In many ways, October 18 marks another beginning for Community Care & Justice after months of planning, focus groups and community outreach for needs assessment,” said Coallier. “The first iteration of our Social Justice Certificate program began at Seton Hall a few weeks ago. That program brings members of the community and surrounding communities together with police officers and credible messengers ‘to learn from each other and empower its participants as stakeholders and changemakers in search of social justice and equity.’ So, although the Outreach Team will initially consist of two part-time social workers and three interns and can focus solely on referrals from first responders, we plan on ultimately expanding our Team and these services and will eventually accept referrals from other organizations as well as community members themselves.”

Community Care & Justice Liaisons in South Orange Police Department and Rescue Squad

The program has the support of the South Orange Police Department as well as the Rescue Squad. 

Rescue Squad
Among the rescue squad, four members have volunteered to function as liaisons to the Community Care & Justice program and will function as a key partner to the program through referrals and support.  

Chief Victor Rothstein and Deputy Chief Annie Carman of the South Orange Rescue Squad will function as primary points of contact and liaisons for the Community Care & Justice program.

“The Rescue Squad is very excited to be a part of this outreach,” said South Orange Rescue Squad Chief Victor Rothstein. “What EMS offers patients is essentially a bandaid fix in most cases, a stabilization of acute illness and injury until we can get the patient to a hospital. Although our EMTs are considered some of the most capable in the state, many times patients need long term assistance that we do not and cannot provide. In fact, frequently we get called to individuals who don’t actually need medical attention per se, but still need some form of professional help or access to resources. In these cases, the social workers that the CC&J program provides will make more of a difference than any ambulance or hospital could. We have been hoping for a program like this for a very long time and the Community Care & Justice Outreach Team is major progress in ensuring the residents of South Orange can survive – and thrive.” 

Police Department
Among the South Orange Police Department, four officers have volunteered to be liaisons to the Community Care & Justice program and are expected to be instrumental in aligning the department with the Outreach Team through referrals, support and, if need be, assistance.  

The police officers who have volunteered to work with the Community Care & Justice program are: Lieutenant Ernesto Morillo; Sergeant John Niedzinski; Sergeant Richard Lombardi; and Captain Stephen Dolinac, who is Acting Chief of Police in South Orange. 

“The South Orange Police Department is exceedingly pleased to be a part of this program, which gives us the opportunity to partner with social workers and other dedicated community members and truly improve the services we deliver in ways that go beyond traditional law enforcement,” said Captain Dolinac. “Perhaps not surprisingly, the research to date on policing in this manner shows real efficacy.

 Simply put, we’ll be addressing systemic problems experienced by members of the community with systemic solutions. And we believe there are real savings to be had through utilizing this approach – savings in lives, quality of life – and resources.” He continued, “Ultimately, we’d like to get to the point where we’re able to pinpoint need and bring resources to our residents before crisis, especially for our youth.” 

Lieutenant Ernesto Morillo agreed, “This is a new day in policing and South Orange is prepared to meet these challenges if not lead the way. The overwhelming majority of our calls are not about ‘fighting crime,’ but about responding to crisis and ensuring the well-being of our community members. I have great faith that my officers meet these challenges with courtesy, professionalism and a commitment to serve and protect. But in order to do this job correctly – to serve the public well being in the best way possible – we need to use all of the tools at our disposal – and committed social workers and community interventions can be a highly effective tool for delivering the hope, help and resources that people need. He continued, “If contact with police is limited to enforcement and addressing conflict, then many in the community will view police as an oppressive force and not as the providers of what most of our interactions actually deal with, which is community caretaking.  Of course, officers will address conflict and enforcement as required, but we must do more to engage the community in a positive way and cultivate the trust that our citizens should have in us to take care of our community together.” 

(Photo credit Alia C. Covel)

By Alia C. Covel (reprinted from TAPinto article dated 10/16/21)

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — NBA legend Allan Houston brought The FISLL Project to Seton Hall University  on Tuesday to continue the success of his foundation’s nationwide mentoring program.

SHU is a partner in South Orange’s Community Care and Justice Program, along with Essex County, and will utilize the mentoring program with youth from South Orange and Newark in conjunction with officers from the South Orange Police Department and the Newark Police Department.

Village Trustee and Health and Safety Committee Chair Donna Coallier moderated a panel of police officials, educators and an SHU student to speak about the importance of the project.

“FISLL and Allan Houston’s organization are 100 percent aligned with the values that are driving our Community Care and Justice Program,” Coallier told TAPinto SOMA. “This is launching a curriculum where our people and people from the city of Newark are going to learn about value-based decision-making and how to work together and create strength from those values.”

“Our goal is to amplify young people’s voices,” said panelist Dennis Carter, executive director of the Allan Houston Legacy Foundation. When their stories and struggles are heard, he said, “that’s what’s really going to make a difference.”

Two-time NBA Allstar Houston explained that he created FISLL in 2003 after speaking with his father — who coached Allan in college — about wanting to work on a project together to answer the question “what is our larger responsibility” after having achieved success on the court.

On a plane ride, he wrote down the five values that would become the foundation of the FISLL program: Faith, Integrity, Sacrifice, Leadership and Legacy. The project’s website says the program “can provide a foundation that enables young people to reach their full potential. Through a mentoring initiative, hands-on workshops, and our digital platform, the FISLL Project engages youth in guided dialogue and structured activities designed to build trust, teach valuable life skills, enhance spiritual growth, and defined success.”

Dr. Jamila Davis, Community Practitioner in Residence at SHU, is working on a companion curriculum to the program. The panelist noted that choice is important for students in keeping their interest and buoying their self-esteem. The program helps match the student with what their passions are. “When they tap into their talent, they tap into their confidence,” said Davis.

Panelist Lt. Ernesto Morillo of the South Orange Police Department said that the program is “an approach we can create together.” Morillo is the local lead for the FISLL program. Ten youths and 10 officers have already been selected, half from South Orange and half from Newark, and the cohort will have six virtual sessions, then a closing session on Nov. 30.

He also thanked the SOPD officers who came to the event to show their support: Det. Miguel Hunt, Lt. Eric Moore, and Ofc. Darrell Terry, Jr., who all grew up in South Orange; and Ofc. Niko Nasisi, a SHU alumnus who was hired by the SOPD just after graduation in 2019.

Houston was asked what advice he would give to local FISLL participants. “Show up, listen, and look,” he said. Showing up and being there is the first step in achieving anything, he said. One must be an active listener to learn, and look beyond what at first you think is possible.