The Lynn Calm Team (LCT) is a groundbreaking community response program rooted in racial equity and cultural competency, built for and by the Lynn community.
Vision for the Lynn Calm Team:
- Culturally relevant support for anyone that seeks it.
- People are met with compassion and love through life’s challenges.
- Every service acknowledges the impact of trauma, racial inequities, and other injustices that lead people to their life circumstances.
- Centers collaboration and working together to address root causes of suffering and marginalization in the community.
Contact Information
*Please note that the public number for the Lynn Calm Team will be available on July 21st.
History
1. In 2020, the Lynn Racial Justice Coalition (LRJC), an alliance of community organizations, unions, and places of worship, issued a “People’s Vision” for a “care-oriented and community-led alternative to police,” to respond to “non-violent calls for emergency assistance without weapons or use of force.” The vision provided the groundwork for a community-led program, including elements such as staffing, call types, and oversight.
2. The LRJC took this vision to the City of Lynn. First, Mayor McGee, then Mayor Nicholson embraced the vision and began the work of committing City resources to implement it. Mayor Nicholson considers the program a core part of his Peace Pillar platform.
3. Since assuming the vision, the Mayor’s Office have devoted significant resources to program planning and development with input and insights from community members, City departments, and local agencies. The vision became the Lynn Calm Team (LCT), a public-private partnership to offer culturally appropriate, proactive, trauma-informed services and interventions grounded in racial justice and harm reduction principles.
4. In 2024, the City signed an agreement with Eliot Community Human Services to provide LCT services by hiring a Community Manager and Community Support Specialist with grant funding from the City. The City will maintain program supervision through a Program Coordinator, a City employee under the Department of Public Health. The Mayor’s Office remains highly involved in program oversight, including with the continued involvement and support from the City’s DEI Officer. The City’s Substance Use Disorder Coordinator will support the effort as well.
5. As first envisioned by the community, the LCT program’s future development will be informed by a new Community Advisory Committee, which will provide consultation and feedback to the Mayor’s Office and Public Health Department on messaging, public awareness, and community presence, ensuring that the LCT effectively represents the needs of the public and remains accountable to its mission, vision, and values.