The Jacobi Medical Center’s program, Stand Up to Violence (SUV), was established to address the special needs of victims of violent trauma. The program relies on the core components of the Cure Violence Model to combat violence in the Bronx community of New York City.
The SUV initiative began to work in the community during the summer of 2014. Using a dual community outreach and hospital response approach, the program is working to make itself a dependable presence in the neighborhoods it serves. In addition to the core Cure Violence team, SUV’s staff includes a licensed social worker, a pediatrician, and a local clergy community liaison. SUV also enjoys strong support from local elected officials, including State Senator Jeffery Klein. The launch of the program was well received and the staff is currently working on expanding the program’s catchment area.
Staff members have organized and hosted several community events, including a Valentine’s Day Extravaganza, a Martin Luther King Spoken Word event, a Holiday Gift event, Thanksgiving dinner, a Halloween party, and several anti-violence rallies. Other community events were hosted by the local NYCHA developments.
SUV staff members work closely with their co-workers in the Medical Center to offer support to victims of violence. As of March 2015, the program reported that no participant of the program’s hospital component had been re-admitted for a new injury due to violence.
Program Particulars
| Host Organization: | Jacobi Medical Center |
| Program: | Stand Up Violence (SUV) |
| Established: | 2014 |
| Contact: | Erika Mendelsohn erika.mendelsohn@nbhn.net |
| Website: | Facebook – Bronx SUV – Stand Up To Violence |
| Implementation: | Full |
| Staff: | Supervisors (1); Outreach Workers (3); Violence Interrupters (2); Hospital Responders (1) |
| NYPD Precinct(s): | 47th, 49th |
| City Council Member District(s): | James Vacca (13) |
| Adult residents living in poverty: | 22% |
| Residents 15-34 years of age: | 29% |
| NYCHA Communities: | Gun Hill, Boston Road Plaza, Parkside |
| Wrap-Around Service Partners: | Jacobi Medical Center’s Stand Up Violence program is funded directly by the State of New York and receives additional funding from the City of New York to supply wrap-around services |