Cleveland Peacemakers Inc

CLEVELAND IS EXPERIENCING THE HIGHEST VIOLENT CRIME RATE IN DECADES. HOMICIDES INCREASED BY 38 PERCENT, AND SHOOTINGS INCREASED BY 40 PERCENT FROM 2019 (PRE-COVID) TO 2022 (POST-COVID). TO ADDRESS THIS INCREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME, PARTICULARLY GUN VIOLENCE, OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, TWO NONPROFIT COMMUNITY-BASED, BLACK-LED ORGANIZATIONS, THE CLEVELAND PEACEMAKERS ALLIANCE (PEACEMAKERS) AND THE BRENDA GLASS MULTIPURPOSE TRAUMA CENTER (TRAUMA CENTER), HAVE COLLABORATIVELY PROVIDED COMPREHENSIVE HOSPITAL-LINKED COMMUNITY VIOLENCE OUTREACH AND TRAUMA RECOVERY SERVICES TO THE HIGH-RISK VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE AND THEIR FAMILIESTHOSE HOSPITALIZED FOLLOWING A GUNSHOT AND THEIR FAMILIES. CURRENT SERVICES TARGET BLACK YOUTH AGED 1524 RESIDING IN HIGHLY RACIALLY SEGREGATED, HIGH-RISK NEIGHBORHOODS. SERVICES ARE TRAUMA INFORMED, ARE EQUITY FOCUSED, AND INCORPORATE THE PERSPECTIVE OF VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE AND THEIR FAMILIESWITHOUT MANDATED CONTACT WITH POLICE OR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS. IN RESPONSE TO LONG-STANDING CHALLENGES IN OUR COMMUNITY INTENSIFIED BY COVID, PEACEMAKERS AND TRAUMA CENTER HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND FOR SERVICES. MOREOVER, THE CITYS GREAT NEED FOR DIRECT SERVICES HAS MADE IT CHALLENGING TO FUND LARGE-SCALE, MULTIYEAR RESEARCH AND EVALUATION ACTIVITIES TO EVALUATE THE INTERVENTION. PEACEMAKERS AND THE TRAUMA CENTER, AND IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CRIMINOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER AT CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY, SEEK FUNDING TO ENHANCE, DOCUMENT, AND ASSES THIS HOSPITAL-LINKED COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION. MORE SPECIFICALLY, WE ARE REQUESTING FUNDING TO: (A) ENHANCE AND EXPAND CAPACITY IN CVI SERVICE DELIVERY EFFORTS TO MEET INCREASING NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY DUE TO RISING GUN VIOLENCE; (B) DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A NEED ASSESSMENT, A PROCESS EVALUATION, AND AN IMPACT EVALUATION OF THE GREATER CLEVELANDS ONLY HOSPITAL-LINKED COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION AND PREVENTION EFFORT (CATEGORY 1, COMMUNITY-BASED/TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS); AND (C) ENHANCE PEACEMAKERS AND TRAUMA CENTERS CAPACITY TO COLLECT PERFORMANCE METRICS AND OUTCOME DATA AND CONDUCT ONGOING PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION. THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST FEDERAL AWARD FROM BJA TO DIRECTLY FUND SERVICES PROVIDED BY TWO CULTURALLY SPECIFIC COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN CLEVELAND.

THE CITY OF CLEVELAND RANKS DISMALLY HIGH ON SOME UNFAVORABLE LISTS, INCLUDING THE NUMBER ONE IN AMERICA FOR POVERTY AND NUMBER SEVEN ON THE LIST OF TEN MOST VIOLENT CITIES IN THE COUNTRY. IN 2021, CLEVELAND EXPERIENCED 170 HOMICIDES, CLOSELY TRAILING 2020S TOTAL OF 193, WHICH WAS THE WORST YEAR FOR VIOLENCE IN THE CITY SINCE 1982. MEANWHILE, CLEVELANDS YOUTH ARE CAUGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF THESE ISSUES, WITH NEARLY 50% OF THE CITYS KIDS RESIDING IN POVERTY, AND MANY TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS CHOOSING TO ARM THEMSELVES OUT OF FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY AROUND THE BLOODSHED IN THEIR COMMUNITY. OUR AGENCY IS WORKING TO CHANGE THIS VIOLENT TRAJECTORY FOR AT-RISK YOUTH. THROUGH DIRECT OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, CRITICAL INCIDENT RESPONSE AND DE-ESCALATION, AND SUSTAINED RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING AND CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES, CPA IS PROVIDING YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT AND GROWTH, HELPING ENSURE THAT THEY REMAIN BOTH ALIVE AND FREE. THIS PROJECT WILL EXPAND AND ADVANCE THE FOLLOWING KEY AREA OF PROGRAMMATIC EFFORT FOR THE ORGANIZATION: IMPLEMENTATION OF AT-RISK YOUTH/YOUNG ADULTS AS TRANSITIONAL OUTREACH WORKERS (TOW) AND EXPANSION OF A NEIGHBORHOOD FOCUSED, TRAIN-THE-TRAINER SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL BASED ON COMMUNITY VIOLENCE DATA AND BEST PRACTICES FROM THE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY INTERVENTION TRAINING INSTITUTE, A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED, EVIDENCE-BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION TRAINING PROGRAM. YOUTH/YOUNG ADULT TRANSITIONAL OUTREACH WORKERS (TOWS) WILL CONSIST OF INDIVIDUALS AGES 15-24 WHO ARE EITHER GANG AFFILIATED OR IN DANGER OF BECOMING AFFILIATED AND ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THEIR LIVES AND ADVOCATING FOR PEACE OVER VIOLENCE. THIS POPULATION WILL UTILIZE THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES TO HELP CRAFT AND IMPLEMENT THE STRATEGY FOR THE TOW ROLE. THESE PARTICIPANTS WILL ALSO PROVIDE ONGOING PROGRAMMATIC FEEDBACK FROM THEIR DIRECT EXPERIENCES AS TOWS, HELPING GUIDE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND REFINEMENT. THESE ACTIVITIES ALLOW RESIDENTS TO REGAIN A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP IN THE SAFETY AND SUCCESS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.