Outpost For Hope
Encyclopedia
Outpost for Hope is listed nationally and international as an educational and support resource for "under-represented missing persons and those who seek to find them".
It has been in operation since 1999 and has 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. This charity specializes in providing resources for the families and Law Enforcement agencies who deal with endangered runaways such as foster children, homeless and transient persons, lost mentally ill persons, substance addicted and other high-risk missing persons
who for various reasons cannot or have not been reported missing. The resources include guides and visual tools that describe what a family should do when one of their relatives or friends goes missing but the police or other agencies cannot or will not take a missing persons' report. For agencies it provides educational studies, resources and guides in dealing with these cases.
On their website, Outpost For Hope lists various reasons of why a person cannot be reported missing in the United States and other countries. These include, but are not limited to, a person who is over 18 years of age and has a history of going missing or is suspected of being voluntarily missing, foster kids who are habitual runaways, illegal immigrants, prostitutes and other transient people who are not easily missed.
serving the United States
. Founded in 1999 by Libba Phillips after her own sister went missing and she could not get her listed as missing. It focuses on the location and recovery of Unreported missing
persons and is defining the problem of unreported missing children and adults: whom they call the "kids off the grid."
Workers: The charity is run by volunteers.
Finances: Income is through donations from members of the public as well as the sale of promotional items. They also have paperback options of their free online guides for sale.
Service Area: As an online organization, their tools and information are available world wide, but it is mainly aimed at the United States.
Servicing: The families of Unreported missing persons, Law Enforcement and other Social and Health Care agencies.
The term applies whether the missing person
is a child or an adult. "Unreported" means the missing person is not part of the National Crime Information Center
database of missing persons.
People can become Kids Off The Grid or "unreported missing" for a variety of reasons, including:
The registry takes data relating to the reasons why the missing person could not be registered with Law Enforcement. It also keeps a record of the missing persons' state of mind and health at the time of disappearance. Other details contained in their registry form are whether the person had children, if they had known drug issues and whether they were homeless or institutionalized
at the time of disappearance.
One aspect of this registry that is not covered is the cases of unreported missing persons when there is a history of family estrangement. Due to the nature of the registry, families who have had a problematic relationship with someone who is abusive or has drug or mental problems and do not want anything to do with the Unreported Missing person, would not be likely to fill in the form and thus leaves out a large part of the unreported missing population from the research.
Workers, Mental Health
Workers, Homeless Services, Drug & Alcohol Recovery Providers and Youth.
It has been in operation since 1999 and has 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. This charity specializes in providing resources for the families and Law Enforcement agencies who deal with endangered runaways such as foster children, homeless and transient persons, lost mentally ill persons, substance addicted and other high-risk missing persons
Missing Persons
Missing Persons is an American band who plays a blend of New Wave and Pop rock. The band was founded in 1980 in Los Angeles by guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, vocalist Dale Bozzio, and drummer Terry Bozzio. They went on to add bassist Patrick O'Hearn and keyboardist Chuck Wild. Dale's quirky voice...
who for various reasons cannot or have not been reported missing. The resources include guides and visual tools that describe what a family should do when one of their relatives or friends goes missing but the police or other agencies cannot or will not take a missing persons' report. For agencies it provides educational studies, resources and guides in dealing with these cases.
On their website, Outpost For Hope lists various reasons of why a person cannot be reported missing in the United States and other countries. These include, but are not limited to, a person who is over 18 years of age and has a history of going missing or is suspected of being voluntarily missing, foster kids who are habitual runaways, illegal immigrants, prostitutes and other transient people who are not easily missed.
Mission
- Defining the problem of unreported missing children and adults: the kids off the grid.
- Supporting the efforts of families in crisis, law enforcement and affiliated agencies to locate and provide recovery information that saves lives.
- To educate society about the mis-perceptions of mental illnessMental illnessA mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, drug addiction, and homelessnessHomelessnessHomelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
and their ripple effects. Reducing the stigma about these conditions which create opportunities for people to be lost and for predators to exploit them without anyone noticing. - Helping families with tools that allows them to find their missing relatives or friends. It also trains and provides informational material to law enforcement and other agencies which allows these individuals and agencies to deal with the families of Unreported missingUnreported missingUnreported missing describes persons who cannot be found, yet have not been or cannot be reported as missing persons to law enforcement, specifically the National Crime Information Center database of missing persons in the United States...
persons as well as finding ways to get them officially listed. - Researching the scale and solutions for this social problem by gathering and analyzing information using "The Missing Link Registry".
- Providing social awareness campaigns such as "The Perception Project".
- Working with and supporting other organizations such as Project EDAN, the Doe NetworkDoe NetworkThe Doe Network is an organization of volunteers who work with law enforcement to connect missing persons cases with John/Jane Doe cases.From their website:...
, and Lets Bring Them Home.
Structure
Outpost for Hope is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit online organization based in Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
serving the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1999 by Libba Phillips after her own sister went missing and she could not get her listed as missing. It focuses on the location and recovery of Unreported missing
Unreported missing
Unreported missing describes persons who cannot be found, yet have not been or cannot be reported as missing persons to law enforcement, specifically the National Crime Information Center database of missing persons in the United States...
persons and is defining the problem of unreported missing children and adults: whom they call the "kids off the grid."
Workers: The charity is run by volunteers.
Finances: Income is through donations from members of the public as well as the sale of promotional items. They also have paperback options of their free online guides for sale.
Service Area: As an online organization, their tools and information are available world wide, but it is mainly aimed at the United States.
Servicing: The families of Unreported missing persons, Law Enforcement and other Social and Health Care agencies.
Unreported Missing Persons
This charity calls all Unreported Missing persons the "Kids Off The Grid" a term first coined by Libba Phillips.The term applies whether the missing person
Missing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared for usually unknown reasons.Missing persons' photographs may be posted on bulletin boards, milk cartons, postcards, and websites, along with a phone number to be contacted if a sighting has been made....
is a child or an adult. "Unreported" means the missing person is not part of the National Crime Information Center
National Crime Information Center
The National Crime Information Center is the United States' central database for tracking crime-related information. Since 1967, the NCIC has been maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Criminal Justice Information Services Division, and is interlinked with similar systems that each...
database of missing persons.
People can become Kids Off The Grid or "unreported missing" for a variety of reasons, including:
- the lost/missing person may be estranged from family or friends.
- law enforcement may not take a "missing" report, or will stop investigations if they believe that the person is "voluntarily missing".
- the lost/missing person may be in this country illegally.
- the person may be an unknown dependent child of an unreported missing adult or teen.
- the person might be the victim of an undiscovered crime, such as the victims of serial killer Gary RidgwayGary RidgwayGary Leon Ridgway is an American serial killer known as the Green River Killer. He murdered numerous women in Washington during the 1980s and 1990s, earning his nickname when the first five victims were found in the Green River. He strangled them, usually with his arm but sometimes using ligatures...
.
The Missing Link Registry
This registry is for families who have not been able to register their missing loved ones in any official lists. The aim of the registry is to gather actual data that can be used as case studies for policy making as well as training of Law Enforcement and other related agencies and the future development of prevention strategies.The registry takes data relating to the reasons why the missing person could not be registered with Law Enforcement. It also keeps a record of the missing persons' state of mind and health at the time of disappearance. Other details contained in their registry form are whether the person had children, if they had known drug issues and whether they were homeless or institutionalized
Institutionalized
Institutionalized may refer to:* The act of being placed in a psychiatric hospital* "Institutionalized" , a song on Suicidal Tendencies 1983 titular album* Institutionalized , a 2005 rap album by American rapper Ras Kass...
at the time of disappearance.
One aspect of this registry that is not covered is the cases of unreported missing persons when there is a history of family estrangement. Due to the nature of the registry, families who have had a problematic relationship with someone who is abusive or has drug or mental problems and do not want anything to do with the Unreported Missing person, would not be likely to fill in the form and thus leaves out a large part of the unreported missing population from the research.
The Perception Project
This project, a collaboration with Lets Bring Them Home is specifically aimed at young people, students, artists and writers and asks for creative works which contain or define the word "lost" in them. They believe that the participation and definition of "lost" in this project will shed light on the problem of unreported lost and missing children and adults to a population of people who would not normally have any contact with missing people and in particular Unreported missing or Kids off the Grid.Education
The charity provides training and free guides to Law Enforcement, Social Workers, Educators, Health CareHealth care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
Workers, Mental Health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
Workers, Homeless Services, Drug & Alcohol Recovery Providers and Youth.
Links to Other Organizations
- Project EDAN: Project EDAN was formed in conjunction with and is co-sponsored by Outpost For Hope.
- Doe Network: Outpost For Hope founder Libba Phillips is also Northern California Area Director for the Doe Network.
- Lets Bring Them Home: These two organizations have collaborated on the awareness campaign "Perception Project".