Professional Summary
Neil deGrasse Tyson once said, “what I do for the public is driven by duty, not ambition.” That same philosophy inspires Abdul Jabbar Muhammad’s journey in service to the Greater Boston community as a Firefighter/EMT and Prosecuting/Legal Inspector.
Brother Jabbar’s career began with a focus on individuals and families from the Latino community who were struggling with addiction and living with HIV/AIDS. There he discovered how the stigma and misunderstanding of addiction and disease could deplete essential compassion for our community members. Over time he has witnessed how supportive social service programs, such as La Comunidad, can thrive and succeed in restoring dignity and providing a safe place for its residents.
After joining the Boston Fire Department in 2001, Brother Jabbar served as Firefighter/Inspector for over 11 years in the city’s Fire Prevention Division’s (FPD) Legal Unit. As part of his continuing passion for community service, he was privileged to be appointed in 2019 to the Investigation and Enforcement Team (IE), an effort by Mayor Walsh to improve living conditions in the City of Boston through effective code enforcement. At IE, he handled some of the more complex cases that constituents face daily, such as unsanitary living conditions and code violations that increase the risk of losing life and property. Over the past three years, he and the IE group have investigated over 1000 complex cases — through partnerships with the city of Boston’s Mass & Cass team to address unsheltered encampments, with the Boston Police Department on challenging cases, and with many city and state agencies, such as Age Strong and Ethos, to provide community support for older adults.
His experience and knowledge of critical issues has enabled him to be a vital resource to the Boston Fire Department, the legal system, agencies within the city, and, most notably, city residents. In addition, his ability to foster positive and culturally competent constituent relationships has reduced the likelihood of court involvement, and improved communication between the city and the community.
Brother Jabbar has a master’s degree in Criminal Justice and a certificate in Paralegal Studies from Boston University Metropolitan College. He is also a graduate of CADER Certificate Programs at Boston University School of Social Work, including Behavioral Health in Aging, Foundations in Aging & Disabilities, and Ethics and Legal Principles, as well as a certified recovery coach supervisor and trainer of the CCAR Recovery Coach model, with nine (9) Pro-Board and National certifications. Read Brother Jabbar’s profile here in Bostonia.
Categories
- Advocacy
- Case Management
- Community Engagement
- Diverse Populations
- Legal / Ethics
- Person-Centered Care
- Team Development
Training Specialties
- Curriculum Development
- Instruction / Delivery