Memphis Allies describes intensive ‘Switch’ model serving roughly 475 high‑risk youth and adults

Susan Deason, executive director of the Memphis Allies initiative (part of Youth Villages), told the Judiciary Committee the program now serves about 475 high‑risk participants and is staffed by roughly 200 people.

Deason said the initiative targets people ages 12 to 35 who have gang or crew involvement, extensive justice‑system contact, are often out of school or unemployed, and are close to people recently shot or shot at. She described the program’s core intervention, “Switch” (Support With Intention to Create Hope), as an evidence‑informed, high‑intensity model that places outreach specialists, life coaches, case managers and clinical specialists around each participant.

“Right now we are serving around 475 high risk individuals,” Deason said, and added that the program is operating in five parts of Memphis (Raleigh‑Frayser North, Raleigh‑Frayser, Orange Mound, Hickory Hill, Whitehaven and South Memphis) with plans to enter the remaining two regions by the end of the fiscal year or the start of the next fiscal year.

Deason told the committee that early outcome tracking shows lower rates of re‑arrest for weapon charges among program participants than commonly cited national recidivism averages. She said just over 7 percent of the adult participants had been rearrested on a charge involving a weapon, and about 13 percent of youth participants had a new weapons charge; overall, she reported that 87 percent of participants did not receive new weapon charges during the referenced period.

Mick Wright, government relations manager for the Memphis Allies Initiative, said the program intentionally works side‑by‑side with grassroots and implementing partner organizations; many partners hold contracts to deliver the Switch model under the Memphis Allies umbrella. Wright described additional partners who deliver group programming or preventative youth services.

Committee members asked about local government, hospital, and civic partnerships. Deason said the initiative receives private donations, appropriations from the state (including funding routed through the Office of Criminal Justice Programs and law enforcement partners), and a grant through the Shelby County Health Department; she said some county commission funding has supported the initiative but that the bulk of funding has been private and state dollars. She said medical partners include Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and an adult hospital violence intervention program in Regional 1, and that the program maintains a full‑time liaison to the hospitals.

Representative Salinas and Representative Hardaway, whose districts include areas served by the initiative, praised the program’s data‑driven approach and asked about outreach to local civic groups; Deason and Wright said they provide smaller capacity grants and partner with community groups and suggested further partnership opportunities with organizations such as the “100 Black Men” and “100 Black Women.”

Deason closed by noting Memphis Allies had received a significant initial state appropriation from the governor’s violent crime intervention fund and said the initiative has an outstanding request for additional state funding this year.

Members did not take formal action during the presentation. The committee received slides and a progress report referenced by presenters for further detail.