CURE VIOLENCE EAST
Bridging the Gaps One Community at a Time
The Cure Violence East team consists of community residents with lived experiences from Wilkinsburg, Homewood, Penn Hills and East Hills who are working daily to interrupt violence.
WHAT WE DO
Detect and interrupt potentially violent conflicts.
Identify and treat highest risk.
Mobilize the community to change norms.
OUR VISION
Impacting Eastern Allegheny County by decreasing residents' risk of losing loved ones to gun violence.
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MISSION
Using a rigorous, scientific, and data-driven approach, significantly reducing violence in Wilkinsburg, Homewood, Penn Hills, and East Hills.
1. Detect and interrupt potentially violent conflicts
Empowered by a dedicated team of trained violence interrupters and outreach professionals, Cure Violence East is at the forefront of preventing violent conflicts within our community. Operating independently of law enforcement, our approach hinges on maintaining unwavering credibility to engage with those at the highest risk.
Strategies in Action:
1. Prevent Retaliations
In the aftermath of a shooting, our skilled workers swiftly immerse themselves in the community and hospital settings. Their mission: to diffuse heightened emotions, forge connections with victims, console friends and family, and engage with anyone connected to the incident. By doing so, we disrupt the cycle of revenge and retaliation.
2. Mediate Ongoing Conflicts
Our proactive outreach involves identifying simmering conflicts within the community. By conversing with key individuals, we gain insights into disputes, recent arrests, prison releases, and other potential triggers. Through adept mediation techniques, we foster peaceful resolutions, eradicating the roots of violence before they can take hold.
3. Keep Conflicts 'Cool'
Our commitment doesn't end when the immediate threat subsides. Cure Violence East persists in following up on conflicts for as long as necessary – even extending to months. This sustained effort ensures that potential conflicts remain dormant, preventing the escalation into violence.
2. Identify and change behaviors of people at highest risk
Trained outreach workers implement a culturally-appropriate and trauma-informed approach to reduce the risk of those most likely to commit violence and to promote health equity. Outreach workers meet those at highest risk where they are at, 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.
Strategies in Action
1. Access Highest Risk – Workers utilize their trust with high-risk individuals to establish contact, develop relationships, begin to work with the people most likely to be involved in violence.
2. Change Behaviors – Workers engage with high-risk individuals to convince them to reject the use of violence by discussing the cost and consequences of violence and teaching alternative responses to situations.
3. Case Management – Workers develop a caseload of clients who they work with intensively – seeing clients several times a week and assisting with their needs such as drug treatment, employment, leaving gangs.
3. Mobilize the community to change norms
We believe in the power of community-driven transformation. Our dedicated workers collaborate with community leaders, residents, business owners, faith leaders, service providers, and those at high risk to collectively convey a resounding message: violence has no place in our community.
Strategies in Action:
1. Immediate Response to Shootings
In the aftermath of any incident within our catchment area, Cure Violence East swiftly organizes a robust community response. Dozens of community members unite to vocalize their objection to the violence, sending a powerful message of unity against harm.
2. Community Organization
Our workers actively engage with new and existing community structures, including block clubs, tenant councils, and neighborhood associations. By fostering partnerships, we create a united front against violence, leveraging the strength of community bonds to prevent its occurrence.
3. Fostering Positive Norms
We go beyond rhetoric, actively distributing materials and hosting impactful events within the catchment area. Through these channels, we broadcast a clear and unwavering message: violence is not acceptable. By reinforcing positive norms, we aim to reshape community perceptions and foster an environment where safety and harmony prevail.
CURE VIOLENCE EAST
A public health approach to reducing gun violence, seeking to identify the root causes and intervene before violence starts.
Address issues such as poverty, systemic racism, and a lack of educational opportunities that contribute to gun violence.
Work directly with victims, families, and the surrounding community to provide direct support to those affected by gun violence.
