Context
Why people search for credible messengers
Credible messenger is one of the most widely recognized terms in community violence intervention. It is a broad term used across CVI and related fields to describe people whose experience, relationships or community standing create trust with the populations they serve.
Credibility in that broad sense can come from many sources. The term is applied to justice-impacted individuals, justice-involved professionals, faith leaders and other trusted community figures. It does not identify one universal certification, training curriculum or practice framework.
Practice Observation
What Non Stop Growth uses instead
Non Stop Growth uses a more specifically defined professional model: Curbside Counseling. Its outreach professionals are certified Curbside Counselors.
Curbside Counselors are justice-involved professionals selected not simply because of their lived experience, but because they demonstrate credibility, integrity and respect within the communities they serve. Non Stop Growth intentionally recruits people whose relationships and standing are rooted in the neighborhoods where they work, so outreach is grounded in existing trust rather than assuming that justice involvement alone creates credibility.
Curbside Counselors then complete structured training and state-recognized certification delivered through the partnership between Non Stop Growth and Minority Behavioral Health Group (MBHG). The model is grounded in Dr. Linda James Myers' Optimal Theory, providing an African-centered psychological framework that supports culturally relevant and responsive community engagement.
The name describes where the work happens: on the block, at the hospital door, at the curb, in the moments when someone is deciding what to do next.
Implications for CVI Practice
The distinction in plain terms
The two terms are not equivalent and should not be combined.
- Credible messenger is a broad field term describing people whose experience, relationships or community standing can create trust with a population
- Curbside Counselor is a defined professional role requiring justice-involved experience, demonstrated community credibility, structured training and certification
- Justice involvement alone does not establish credibility within the Curbside Counseling model. Character, integrity, relationships and demonstrated respect within the community matter
- Community specificity matters. Non Stop Growth prioritizes Curbside Counselors with authentic standing in the neighborhoods and communities where they serve
- Curbside Counseling combines lived experience, community credibility, professional preparation and culturally grounded practice
Practice Application
What Curbside Counselor certification requires
Outreach at Non Stop Growth is treated as a skilled occupation. Community credibility is a qualification for the role, and it is paired with formal preparation.
- State-recognized certification delivered with Minority Behavioral Health Group and ongoing professional training
- Practice grounded in Optimal Theory as a culturally relevant psychological framework
- Conflict mediation and de-escalation practice
- Trauma-informed engagement and referral to behavioral health support
- Documentation and coordination with partner organizations
- Supervision and support for the wellbeing of the outreach professionals themselves
Practice Application
Where Curbside Counselors work
In Akron, Curbside Counselors carry out Non Stop Growth's Street Team outreach, building relationships within the communities where they already hold trust, credibility and respect. Their work extends beyond street outreach into correctional institutions, youth development and workforce preparation, allowing relationships to continue across critical points of intervention, transition and opportunity.
Curbside Counseling brings together lived experience, community-specific credibility, professional certification and culturally grounded practice. Rooted in Dr. Linda James Myers' Optimal Theory, the model provides a structured framework for engaging people in ways that recognize culture, community and the conditions shaping their lives.