Are Youth Alive's Services Free and Who Is Eligible?
Youth Alive's wraparound services are always free, and the organization describes itself as community-based rather than part of city government or the police. Eligibility is defined by who the programs serve: Oakland teens, survivors of violence, families of homicide victims, and youth returning to the community after release. The sections below break that down by program so you can tell which one fits a given situation.
Is there any cost?
No. Youth Alive states that its wraparound services are always free. The site lists no pricing, fees, or payment platforms, and it does not present itself as a city or police agency — it describes itself as "of and by the community." That framing matters for eligibility: you are not required to go through a government office or a police department to reach these programs.
Who is eligible, by program
| Program | Focus | Who it serves |
|---|---|---|
| Teens on Target | Prevention | High school students trained to educate peers on violence prevention, mediate conflicts, and advocate for safer communities |
| Violence Interrupters | Intervention | Community members in active tension or group conflict; interrupters work to defuse conflicts before violence starts |
| Caught in the Crossfire | Intervention | Survivors of violence, met at their hospital bedside, with practical and logistical support to heal and avoid retaliation |
| Hometown Heroes Fellowship | Intervention / workforce | People being developed as credible messengers and community leaders in violence prevention |
| Pathways | Intervention / reentry | At-promise youth connected with Intervention Specialists for post-release services |
| Khadafy Washington Project | Healing | Families of Oakland homicide victims |
| Counseling Services | Healing | Individuals impacted by trauma and violence |
| Legislative Action / Advocacy for Change | Advocacy | Policy work at local, statewide, and national levels, centered on youth, clients, and staff experiences |
What each service actually provides
- Teens on Target trains high school students to teach peers about preventing violence, mediate conflicts, and advocate to elected officials and the public.
- Violence Interrupters navigate tension within the community to extinguish individual and group conflicts.
- Caught in the Crossfire sends Intervention Specialists to meet survivors at the hospital and provide practical and logistical services that support healing, discourage retaliation, and help survivors return to their communities.
- Hometown Heroes Fellowship is a workforce development initiative building the next generation of credible messengers and community leaders.
- Pathways connects at-promise youth with experienced Intervention Specialists for post-release services including educational assistance, legal aid, employment support, mentoring, and life skills training.
- Khadafy Washington Project serves nearly 100% of families of Oakland homicide victims with financial, emotional, and practical support.
- Counseling Services offers healing-centered individual and group counseling for people impacted by trauma and violence.
How to decide whether to reach out
If you are a high school student in Oakland interested in peer education or conflict mediation, Teens on Target is the entry point. If you or someone you know was recently injured by violence, Caught in the Crossfire is designed for the hospital bedside moment. If you have lost a family member to homicide in Oakland, the Khadafy Washington Project is built specifically for that. If you are returning to the community after release and need education, legal aid, employment, or mentoring, Pathways is the match. For trauma and violence impacts more broadly, Counseling Services is open to individuals affected.
Because the site does not publish intake forms, phone numbers, or eligibility paperwork in the material reviewed here, the practical next step is to use the "Learn more" links on each program page or the "Support us" section of the site to find the current contact route. Confirm the specific program before sharing personal details, and ask directly whether your situation fits — the organization's own framing is that it is community-based and separate from city and police channels.