The Link

“The finance committee of the board reviews the 990 first, pending their approval the 990 is sent to the full board of directors for review. The 990 is then discussed at the next scheduled full board meeting where a vote is taken to approve the 990 for submission.”

“The board of directors individually signs a conflict of interest policy acknowledgement annually after questions/discussion at the first board meeting of each new year. The employee handbook explains the policy and employees' acknowledge receipt of the handbook at the beginning of their employment and annually thereafter.”

“For the organization's executive director, an annual review is performed by the board's personnel committee, who also determines compensation. An evaluation form is preparered by both the reviewee and reviewer and then compared and discussed at the time of the review. The executve director and other key employees both sign the review. For the organization's officers or key employees, an annual review is performed by the employee's supervisiors. An evaluation form is prepared by both thereviewee and reviewers and then compared and discussed at the time of the review. The employee and supervisor both sign the supervisor's copy of the review. The link uses a uniform process for raises each year that includes a mix of cola and merit based increases. The executive director signs off on all employee raises.”

“The documents are available to the public upon request.”

“The link strives to eradicate the impacts of poverty and social injustice affecting youth. Vision: a community supporting all youth in having equitable access and opportunity. Youth: our work will be guided and informed by our belifs and commitment to youth. Inclusion: we value and incorporate youth voice into all we do. Quality: we respect all people, value diversity and are committed to equity. Advancement: we strive for program excellence through continuous improvement and evidence based practices. We aspire to lead through innovative and cutting edge programming.”

“The link's housing and homeless services division has six housing programs, a street outreach program and drop-in center. Two of our housing programs are site based buildings that include 24 apartments for youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who are experiencing homelessness. These two programs (lindquist apartments in minneapolis and lincoln place in eagan) both have 24/7 staffing to provide supportive services, assessment, case management, connections to health care and mental health therapy, life skills education, advocacy, crisis intervention and positive youth development activities. The link also operates five scattered site housing programs in which the link works with market rate landlords to rent to the youth in our programs and provides in-home and community based supportive services. Our scattered site housing programs are for youth and young families between the ages of 18 and 24 and include our housing first program, rapid rehousing program, suburban rapid rehousing program, project live out loud and the young families program. All of the scattered site programs except for the suburban rapid rehousing program are located in hennepin county-the suburban rapid rehousing program serves youth within scott, carver, dakota, washington counties and anoka county began in 2016. All of the link's housing programs help young people and families transition out of homelessness into housing stability through a housing first and trauma informed model. All of our housing programs provide assessment, case management, connections to education, assistance with job searching and application, assistance with public benefits, support groups and activities, referral and connection to mental health therapy and health care services and positive youth development activities. The young families program has specialized assessment, case management, parenting skills support and early childhood programming. Project live out loud is a culturally specific rapid rehousing program for youth that identify as lgbtq and includes lgbtq specific case management, activities and mental health therapy through our partner agency, reclaim. The link's seven housing programs have a total of 183 units of housing. The link also operates a street outreach program that provides front end crisis intervention, basic needs supplies and referrals to longer term services. The c.o.r.e. Drop-in center is located in apple valley and provides a low barrier space for youth who are at-risk or who are currently experiencing homelessness can receive free meals, laundry, shower facilities, basic needs supplies, assessment, case management and connections to longer term services including housing.”

“The link's juvenile justice division includes the juvenile supervision center (jsc), the evening reporting centers, power, school matters and the parent support program. The juvenile supervision center (jsc),located in minneapolis city hall, is a collaboration among hennepin county, the city of minneapolis, minneapolis public schools and the link. The jsc provides a safe place for youth between the ages of 10 and 17 after they are picked up by any law enforcement within hennepin county for low level or status offenses, felony car theft or youth who have experienced sexual exploitation. Rather than bringing a youth to juvenile detention or just ignoring the violation, police can use this 24-hour drop-off point both to ensure that the youth are returned to their family, school or guardian, and connected with community resources as needed. The goal is to halt the youth's progression into the juvenile justice system and increase safe connections to family, school and community. At the jsc, link staff interview each youth to assess needs, talk with parents when they arrive, ensure the youth is returned to the most appropriate safe environment, and provide referrals to any needed community resources. Youth who present higher levels of need receive more intensive follow-up as they are connected with ongoing case management within the link. The evening reporting centers (erc) are located in brooklyn park and richfield and serve boys on hennepin county probation for mid-high level criminal activity. The erc offers programming designed to build youth's assets through structured, positive, year-round activities after school hours and saturdays, when the most youth crimes occur. This program is a detention alternative for youth involved in thejuvenile justice system. Youth participating in the erc programming take part in groups and activities to focus on anger management and conflict resolution, employment and job skills, court order compliance, and other supportive topics with the goal of preventing future criminal behavior. The link also operates the power program (positive opportunities for women of every race) which is a gender specific program similar to the erc but for girls on hennepin county probation. The link also offered the power program in 2016.”

“Safe harbor has three programs-the west metro regional navigator which is a centralized point of contact and service for sex trafficked youth in hennepin, scott and carver counties; the passageways emergency shelter and housing program which is a six bed emergency shelter and five unit housing program for sex trafficked youth with a variety of on-site supportive services and the safe harbor supportive services which include mental health therapy, family reunification and aftercare services.”

“School matters is an intervention program for youth (ages 10-17) that provides intensive one-on-one case management to youth referred from the hennepin county attorney's office for truancy. Youth are referred because they have 7 or more unexcused absences. Case managers build trusting relationships with youth and their families, through visiting the youth in their home, school and community sites, and serving as advocates, coaches and guides. Close communication with parents, schools, probation officers, and the juvenile court helps to support the youth's behavior, school attendance, and achievement plans. Youth also participate in both group resilience trainings and one-on-one coaching sessions to help them develop crucial social-emotional skills such as respect for self and others, making good choices in tough situations, and expressing themselves positively. The youth are provided core resiliency-building experiences with a wide array of after-school and summer groups, including (but not limited to) work experience, tutoring, service learning, and gender-responsive support groups. Case managers also refer the youth and their family to needed resources elsewhere in the community as needed (housing, health insurance, food, clothing, mental, physical and chemical health care, alternative schools, and more). The link also has a culturally specific program for african american parents of youth who have been in our school matters or jsc program called the parent support program. This program offers parenting education specific to parenting adolescents, crisis intervention and basic needs assistance.”