A Relatable, Respected Role Model for Troubled Youth, Phillip Foster of Leake & Watts is Honored as a 'Front-Line Hero'

Broken homes, peer pressure, lack of positive male role models—these are some of the issues troubled teens face, leading to truancy, and worse, crimes ranging from assault to burglary. Leake & Watts’ Non-Secure Placement (NSP) Program is a lifeline for adjudicated young men ages 12 to 17, often providing the first safe, structured environment these young men have ever known. Leake & Watts’ trained youth counselors are integral to this support system. For teens at Leake & Watts’ NSP facility in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx, Phillip Foster, or “Foster,” as he’s most commonly known, is the “real deal,” a front-line hero who has an uncanny ability to connect to these kids, creating a lasting impact that helps change minds and behavior.

Mr. Foster’s commitment to his teens will be recognized April 26 when he will be honored at New York Nonprofit Media’s inaugural Front-Line Heroes awards ceremony at New York Law School. Mr. Foster is one of 25 honorees chosen by New York Nonprofit Media for being “a committed, innovative behind-the-scenes human service practitioner, leader, and advocate for change in New York.”

“Youth in our NSP program can tell that this is more than just a job for Foster,” says Lisa Crook, director of Juvenile Justice Programs at Leake & Watts. “What Foster gives to them, they take with them, and it’s his voice they hear and his example they remember after they leave.”

At Leake & Watts’ NSP programs, youth live for a term set by a family court judge and receive therapeutic counseling using the nationally recognized Missouri Model treatment method. Program counselors such as Mr. Foster supervise the teens as they attend school; participate in recreational activities; and receive individual, family, and group counseling. Using the Missouri Model, the Leake & Watts staff promotes positive peer relationships and provides a supportive community for all participants. Each night, the youth take part in “group,” a meeting led by a counselor, that is a sacred time and safe space where they can act out real situations and help each other develop constructive solutions.

“The roots of behavior with these kids go back to the challenges they face at home and on the streets,” Mr. Foster explains. “I also encountered many of the same challenges as a teen, so when I talk to these kids, they know that I’ve lived it, too.” A Mount Vernon native, Mr. Foster is a real-life example of someone who took the right path and worked hard to achieve his goals. “The more you become a positive male role model for these kids, the more you can impact their lives and change their thinking,” he adds.

To hear one teen tell it, Mr. Foster reaches the kids in profound ways. “He’s been through some of the things I’ve been through, and you can really sit down and talk to him, and he’ll tell you if you’re right or going in the wrong direction,” says Joe, a 16 year-old in the program. “He’ll really let you know; he’s just that guy.”

A young dad with two boys ages 3 and 5, Mr. Foster is currently studying to earn his Bachelor’s Degree as a Human Services professional. He says he finds great satisfaction in giving back through his work, in which he helps troubled teens address their personal challenges, manage their emotions, learn stronger social skills, and adopt healthy behaviors to make a successful and permanent transition to the community, “If I can leave work and feel that I’ve reached one of these kids in a way they haven’t been reached before and have possibly changed their mindset—that’s my motivation,” he says.

Ms. Crook notes that Mr. Foster epitomizes the type of dedicated counselors who support adjudicated youth at Leake & Watts juvenile justice facilities in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Westchester. “We try hard to make sure all of our counselors are doing their best on the front-line of our work. We are so proud that Foster has been recognized for what he accomplishes with his kids.”