CBS News | Hospital gun-violence prevention programs may be caught in federal funding crossfire
Gun Violence Prevention Programs Face Uncertain Federal Funding—But Our Work Continues
At Youth ALIVE!, we know that preventing gun violence means addressing its root causes—providing real alternatives and support to survivors before violence can escalate. This CBS News article by Stephanie Wolf highlights the critical role of hospital-based intervention programs, featuring insights from our team members Paris Davis, MPA,CNP and John Torres, LMFT.
As Paris Davis, our Intervention Programs Director, explains: “That might mean providing alternative solutions to gunshot victims who might otherwise seek retaliation. If that’s helping them relocate out of the area, if that’s allowing them to gain housing, if that’s shifting that energy into education or a job or, you know, family therapy—whatever the needs are for that particular case and individual—that is what we provide.”
The public health approach to gun violence prevention works. Programs like ours have contributed to significant reductions in violent injury recidivism. Yet, federal funding uncertainty threatens these lifesaving efforts.
As our Associate Director, John Torres, put it: “We’ve been worried about, if a domino does fall, how is it going to impact us? There’s a lot of unknowns.”
Despite the uncertainty, we remain committed to serving our communities and finding ways to sustain this work. We need continued investment—from policymakers, funders, and community members—to ensure that survivors get the support they need to heal and thrive.
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