Vital Signs Volume 13, Issue 3 | Page 3

Louisville ’ s Health Approach to Reducing Violence and Promoting Peace By Rashaad Abdur-Rahman , LCSW
Louisville ’ s Health Approach to Reducing Violence and Promoting Peace By Rashaad Abdur-Rahman , LCSW
Marcus had been shot twice and stabbed once before the incident that brought him to Pivot to Peace . He was a victim of circumstance each time and not involved in criminal actions . A caseworker helped him bridge the transportation gap immediately after injury so that he could keep his job by helping negotiate a debt he owed a car repair shop . Pivot to Peace helped him with immediate needs and a new suit for a job interview . He received support to help expand his work into career goals . He was chosen by his company for a special project for 77 days in Milwaukee , Wis ., after which he will return home to Louisville to be reassigned to another location ( Boston ) to train warehouse workers .
Jonathon had completed 12 months of support from the Pivot to Peace program , he is still engaged with his worker . He completed a seven-week program , 4Your Child , to learn about co-parenting and healthy relationship skills . At the end of the program he stated , “ This has given me a better understanding of being a father . It has taught me to respond differently to my children . I have learned how to be a different kind of daddy . I know that I must find permanent employment to better support them .”
Pivot to Peace is an anchor in Louisville ’ s effort to develop and scale a health system approach to violence prevention . This program , which intervenes with individuals being treated in the emergency room for a gunshot wound or stabbing , has thus far achieved a 95 percent success rate in reducing injury recidivism among its participants . Average length of time in the program to obtain these results ? Four months . This kind of success would not be possible without meaningful partnerships , and local organizations such as Peace Education , No More Red Dots , University Hospital , the Gheens Foundation , and the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence who have all been champions of this effort .
Our concept for a growing health system is all-inclusive . We want to partner with institutions that include our hospitals , schools , houses of faith , elected officials , behavioral health , law enforcement , media outlets , and more . Each of these sectors occupies a space in an interconnected web and is a potential ally in interrupting the spread and contagion of violence . Currently , we are working to expand an internationally recognized model called “ Cure Violence .”
From the website ( cureviolence . org ), “ Cure Violence stops the spread of violence by using the methods and strategies associated with disease control – detecting and interrupting conflicts , identifying and treating the highest risk individuals , and changing social norms – with resulting reductions in violence of up to 70 percent . Trained violence interrupters and outreach workers prevent shootings by identifying and mediating potentially lethal conflicts in the community and following up to ensure that the conflict does not reignite . Trained , culturally-appropriate outreach workers work with the highest risk to make them less likely to commit violence by meeting them where they are , talking to them about the costs of using violence , and helping them to obtain the social services they need – such as job training and drug treatment . Workers engage leaders in the community as well as community residents , local business owners , faith leaders , service providers , and the high risk , conveying the message that the residents , groups and the community do not support the use of violence .”
We view the Cure Violence model as an opportunity to build an interconnected system of violence interruption that spans from the streets to the emergency room . It will allow us to more fully resource and support organizations like “ No More Red Dots ,” led by Dr . Eddie Woods , that has worked in the Louisville community for more than 30 years interrupting violence in neighborhoods that have seen historically disproportionate rates of shootings and homicides . By resourcing this system , we will reduce the likelihood that individuals with multiple risk factors will fall between the cracks and re-enter a cycle of violence that leads to injury recidivism or death .
With the understanding that violence is a public health issue , Mayor Greg Fischer established the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods to develop comprehensive violence prevention action plans . We focus our work on understanding the root causes of violence , utilizing a public health approach , and employing data driven , evidence-based solutions . We work collectively with community partners to help build community capacity , support educational obtainment , improve economic mobility , enhance health and social wellness , and resource those who have been justice involved . As a result of these efforts , “ One Love Louisville ” was created to serve as a campaign and call to action for every Louisville citizen to “ Be the 1 ” to make a difference in our city ( Onelovelou . org ). One Love Louisville is a multi-sector partnership , relying on community members and organizations to “ own ” parts of the work and set goals to achieve . Areas of focus have included youth engagement and development as well as black male achievement . Across the country , young ( under the age of 25 ) African American males make up the highest demographic impacted by gun violence . This preventable loss is deplorable and unacceptable . We are clear in our understanding that this loss occurs within a context of historical , systemic and structural racism which perpetuates racialized outcomes across economic , health , and educational spheres . Given this reality , our work must incorporate a socio-ecological perspective that cuts across individual , interpersonal , organizational , community and public policy levels .
Louisville is gaining momentum in our collective understanding of utilizing a public health approach to violence prevention . We are poised to make the right investments to best use our health system , including our hospital and community-based violence interruption work . We are working with the neighborhood residents and community leaders to increase knowledge and raise awareness of conflict resolution skills , mental health first aid , community organizing , etc . There are a multitude of efforts to “ inoculate ” citizens against the disease of violence , and to increase the presence of protective factors . We know that no one can do everything , but everyone can do something . We will continue the “ Be The 1 ” call for all Louisville citizens because , ultimately , we know that it will take all of us working together to ensure that everyone is able to live in a neighborhood that is safe , healthy , compassionate , and full of opportunity . As Mayor Fischer says , we each deserve a chance to reach our full human potential .
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Rashaad Abdur-Rahman , LCSW works for the Office of Mayor Greg Fischer as the Director of Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods .
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