At Roca, founder and CEO Molly Baldwin is redefining how communities respond to urban violence. The organization works with 16- to 24-year-olds who are disconnected from school, probation programs, and traditional services. Many have experienced or committed violence and rarely seek help on their own. Roca’s mission is to disrupt cycles of harm by helping youth heal from trauma, build emotional regulation, and learn new ways of responding under stress.

Its approach combines two central methods: Relentless Outreach, a long-term commitment to finding and engaging young people wherever they are, and Rewire CBT, a nonclinical adaptation of cognitive behavioral therapy. Through Rewire CBT, staff teach seven emotional regulation skills that help participants recognize the difference between what they think, feel, and do, and practice taking an eight- to twelve-second pause before reacting.

Roca’s work focuses on:

• Bringing behavioral health to youth outside formal systems or classrooms.
• Integrating Rewire CBT into all activities, from street conversations to work crews.
• Partnering with probation officers, employers, and city agencies to strengthen support networks.
• Training practitioners nationwide through the Roca Impact Institute, active in 22 states.

In Massachusetts, recidivism among high-risk young men has fallen by 30 percent, with early pilots in Maryland showing similar gains. Participants describe using “the pause” to prevent violence, repair relationships, and stay employed.

In an environment with widespread housing instability, exposure to guns, and chronic trauma, Baldwin’s model continues to demonstrate that persistence, trust, and practical skill building can help even the most disconnected young people regain control over their choices and futures.

In Baltimore, Kurtis Palermo, executive vice president of Roca Maryland, works with young men living at the center of urban violence. Many have grown up amid poverty, incarceration, and constant exposure to trauma, leaving them in a state of survival where fear and impulse often dictate their choices. Roca’s mission is to disrupt these cycles by helping youth build emotional regulation and safer, more deliberate ways of responding to stress.

Palermo finds that true behavior change requires time, consistency, and structure. Through a three-year engagement, Roca staff guide participants in developing awareness of their thoughts, emotions, and actions. The organization’s model centers on Rewire CBT, a nonclinical form of cognitive behavioral theory developed with Massachusetts General Hospital, which teaches young people how to pause before reacting and make choices aligned with their long-term goals.

Roca’s approach combines:

• Daily contact and persistent follow-up to build trust and accountability.
• Paid transitional employment that reinforces emotional control and responsibility.
• Integration of Rewire CBT into every interaction, from work crews to outreach visits.
• Partnerships with police, hospitals, and probation officers to coordinate care.
• An after-shooting protocol that deploys staff within 48 hours to prevent retaliation.

The outcomes are tangible. Participants show fewer arrests, improved job stability, and measurable gains in emotional regulation. Some graduates have returned as youth workers, mentoring others through the same process of change.

Challenges persist as funding shifts and the work remains emotionally demanding. Yet Palermo remains committed to steady leadership amid uncertainty: “It’s just chaotic, crises on any given day. You have to keep everything on the rails.”