Community Violence Intervention with African American Communities: Conducting Culturally Responsive, Trauma-Informed, and Healing-Centered Services and Evaluations

Community violence disproportionately affects Black or African Americans (AAs) and therefore they are more vulnerable to numerous poor physical and psychological health outcomes. Some examples include psychological trauma symptoms, increased mortality, physical injury, and emotional distress that can damage and disrupt the everyday functioning of those victimized, and those perpetrating and witnessing the violence. Mechanisms of structural violence and internalized oppression are underlying sources of poor health outcomes in AA communities affected by community violence. Structural violence refers to damage caused by systems and institutions because of biased and unfair practices and policies like economic deprivation and discriminatory policing. Additionally, AAs may have internalized oppression that is a conscious or unconscious negative perception of one’s self-identity and self-value due to discrimination experienced in society. Therefore, addressing community violence in AAs calls for interventions and program evaluations that are culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and healing centered according to the Trauma-Informed, Socially Just Research Framework developed by Voith and colleagues (2020).

Community violence intervention has increased in recent years due to local, state, and federal funding to address the rising gun violence and violent crimes in the United States. This workshop will examine one approach to community violence intervention called street outreach. Street outreach programs typically employ outreach workers (also called credible messengers or violence interrupters or peacebuilders) to provide one-on-one support and social services to those involved in or at risk of perpetrating violent crimes. This workshop panel will consist of community-based practitioners and researchers from four different street outreach programs located in AA communities in the cities of Chicago and Hartford. Generally, the panelists will discuss the use and applicability of culturally responsive, trauma-informed and healing-centered approaches in providing street outreach services and evaluating the effects of service provision. First, the panelists will describe the main components of street outreach programming and the population served. This includes the effects and elements of systemic racism and internalized oppression evident in the community and population served. Second, the panelists will discuss trauma-informed care and healing centered practices implemented during program or research design, service provision, and evaluation. This includes strengths-based strategies and trauma-informed principles of safety, trustworthiness and transparency, collaboration and shared power, and empowerment. Finally, the panelists will discuss the importance and strategies to be reflective on one’s beliefs, identity, and values as a practitioner and/or researcher when working with AA communities.

The aim of this workshop is to provide tools that can enhance the quality of street outreach services to AA communities affected by violence. During our ninety-minute session, panelist will first address each of the topics above and then take questions from the audience for discussion.