A community group that promotes public safety has teamed with Indiana University Health to roll out a program to engage victims of gun violence as they are being treated in the hospital.
The Indy Public Safety Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to enhancing public safety and quality of life in Indianapolis, and IU Health jointly announced Tuesday a program they are calling the Indy Peace Hospital-Linked Violence Intervention Program.
The program aims to reduce the likelihood of future violence by engaging victims of gun violence and their families with long-term services and support.
The groups say that victims of gun violence often have an increased risk of re-injury and can be more likely to retaliate. The new program will try to reduce those incidences by providing immediate crisis intervention, ongoing case management, access to mental health services, and referrals to additional resources.
“Our program addresses a critical gap in care for individuals affected by gun violence,” Mary Alexander, vice president of community violence intervention at the Indy Public Safety Foundation, said in written remarks. “Operating at the intersection of health care and community support, we are meeting survivors of violence where they are, providing immediate support and resources to help them and their families rebuild their lives.”
The program actually launched in April and has seen 27 patients referred for support. Two patients accessed therapy within the first two weeks of the program’s launch, and six patients were enrolled in the Indy Peace Fellowship, a program that helps with basic tasks such as resume building, housing and food resources, cognitive behavioral therapy, and provides stipends.
The groups say the program is Indiana’s first “hospital-linked violence intervention program.”
Indy Peace is a partnership between the Indy Public Safety Foundation and the Office of Public Health and Safety, developed as part of Mayor Hogsett’s Violence Reduction Strategy, the announcement said. It includes peacemakers who engage with those at risk of becoming perpetrators or victims of gun violence.
Indianapolis experienced a total 31% reduction in criminal homicides and 20% reduction in non-fatal shootings over the first two years of the strategy’s implementation in the fall of 2021. Homicides were also down nationally during that time frame, according to FBI statistics, with a drop of 6% in 2022 and 13% in 2023.
“This initiative aligns with our mission to provide compassionate care and promote wellness across Indiana,” Michele Saysana, vice president ad chief medical officer of IU Health’s Methodist and University hospitals, said in written remarks.
The program is jointed funded through the city of Indianapolis and the IU Health Foundation, which received a $249,381 Elevation Grant, a partnership between the Indianapolis Foundation, the mayor and the City-County Council, with federal funding from the city of Indianapolis.
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