MA ED Violence Initiative

In response to the increase in gunshots and stab wounds in cities across Massachusetts, (1,621 GSW/SW in Massachusetts from January through September 2007) the BNI ART Institute received a supplemental grant to add a violence component to the MA ED SBIRT program funded in 2006 by the Dept.of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Abuse Services.

The mission of VIAP is to “assist victims of violence to recover from physical and emotional trauma and empower them with skills, services and opportunities so they can return to their communities, make positive changes in their lives, strengthen others who have been affected by violence, and contribute to building safer and healthier communities.”

A VIAP demonstration project began at Boston Medical Center in 2006, funded by the Boston Public Health Commission $100,000 Shannon Grant award and is now being disseminated at the request of the governor, to serve victims of violence cross the state, at Brockton Hospital in Brockton, UMASS Memorial in Worcester, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, BMC in Boston, Lawrence General Hospital and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. The BNI-ART Institute worked closely with Dr. Thea James and Dr. Benjamin Shelton from Boston University’s Department of Emergency Medicine and violence intervention advocates Anthony Christian and Leroy Muhammad to adapt this program for conditions in Massachusetts.

At each of these sites, VIAP is collaborating with public and private agencies to offer a broad spectrum of concrete services to patients recovering from violent injury. Each site has hired a peer Violence Intervention Advocate (VIA) with strong community knowledge. Advocates attended a two week training at BU SPH and BMC ED, covering substance abuse screening, brief negotiated intervention and referral to treatment and exposure to strategies for violence prevention and intervention, including case management skills and review of available community resources and services.

 

 

The curriculum was adapted from a Robert Wood Johnson funded program in Oakland, California called “Caught in the Crossfire.”

VIAP advocates now work with patients and their families at all six sites to provide crisis intervention and low impact case management; to intervene in the cycle of violence to prevent retaliation; to reduce morbidity and mortality, and prevent re-injury and entry into the criminal justice system; to facilitate access to continuing health care and local community resources, including housing, jobs and education; and to promote positive role models and positive alternatives to violence. Their aim is to move clients through the following stages of change:

• Stage 1: Intake

goals: relationship/trust building, daily contact, safety plan, assessment, assisting client with document preparation

• Stage 2: Services

goals: linkage with transitional assistance, victim’s assistance, housing, medical/surgical follow-up, primary care, mental health, parenting support organizations

• Stage 3:  Personal development

goals: education, job readiness, counseling, vocational training, employment, leading to discharge from VIAP

• Stage 4: Independence

goals: maintenance, self-nurturing, growth and development