Violence often ravages low income, minority neighborhoods at disproportionate rates than other communities; but that does not mean that poor people or people of color are violent. Violence in a community is often the most visible and shocking outcome of deeper social issues such as oppression, poverty, lack of health and mental health services as well as environmental factors such as lack of housing, availability of firearms, alcohol and other drugs. To address these major issues requires change at a systemic level; however, many community based violence prevention efforts often focus on individual change or education and awareness. The San Francisco Department of Public Health staffs a Violence Prevention Network which recently adopted a Community Action Team model for violence prevention. This asset-based model is designed to 1) build the capacity of the community to address community health and safety issues, 2) involve community members in determining what action should be taken to prevent violence in their community, and 3) focus on violence prevention strategies that will effect policy or organizational change. This paper documents the community action team process from training to implementation and will share the successes, challenges and lessons learned.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session the participant will be able to 1. List three essential phases of the Community Action Team Model 2. Identify two strategies to help communities move from a focus on individual level behavior change to a broader focused policy level change for violence prevention. 3. List two violence prevention actions that could be initiated in their communities
Keywords: Violence Prevention, Community Building
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.