Presenters will discuss Caught in the Crossfire, a youth violence prevention program in Oakland, California. Caught in the Crossfire is a program of Youth ALIVE!, a non-profit public health organization dedicated to reducing violent injuries and deaths among youth in California through education, prevention, and research. Youth ALIVE! works with communities most at risk for violence and seeks to empower residents to advocate for violence prevention, to address the social and emotional impact of violence in their communities, and make their communities safer places to live. Caught in the Crossfire employs local residents who have experienced and overcome violence in their own lives to serve as Crisis Intervention Specialists (CIS). These individuals act as mentors and provide emotional and practical support to young people who are either survivors of violence-related injuries or on probation for violent offenses. CIS work closely with youth on short-term and long-term violence prevention goals. The program’s immediate goals are to prevent retaliatory violence, re-injury, and re-entry into the criminal justice system. CIS also provide ongoing mentorship, promote positive alternatives to violence, provide wrap-around services to participants and their families, and connect youth with local resources in order to assist participants in leading positive, non-violent lifestyles. Results from a recent program evaluation conducted by a multi-disciplinary team will be discussed. Additionally, the challenges of measuring the effectiveness of violence prevention programs will be explored. See www.youthalive.org
Learning Objectives: 1)Identify 2 programmatic components of the Caught in the Crossfire program; 2)Articulate 2 critical elements of programmatic success; 3)Identify 2 strategies for evaluating a youth violence prevention program; 4)List 3 challenges associated with evaluating a prevention-based program and 2 strategies for overcoming these challenges
Keywords: Violence Prevention, Youth Violence
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.