Catchment Area/Target Area

A catchment area is a designated target zone where Cure Violence programs concentrate their anti-violence activities. Each program utilizes its staff of credible messengers to have up-to-date knowledge of high risk individuals, groups/gangs/cliques, and historic/current conflicts. This information is used to interrupt immediate violence, mediate conflicts, and strategize long term violence prevention.

Credible Messengers

Credible messengers can relate to the population targeted by Cure Violence programs. They are considered “credible” because they are a part of the community being served, they can relate to high risk individuals, are respected by high risk individuals and have the ability to engage, connect, and empathize with them. In most cases, credible messengers have a personal history of street and justice-system involvement and are therefore seen as having “been there and done that” with regard to the activities of at-risk youth. Both outreach workers and violence interrupters should be credible messengers, allowing them to reach the target population in ways that others cannot.

The Cure Violence Model

(Also called “Chicago CeaseFire,” the “CV Model,” or “CV”)
The Cure Violence Model originated in Chicago and approaches violence as an epidemic and public health issue. CV-based programs seek to interrupt the transmission of violence from offender to victim, and to make violence unacceptable from the view of the individual and to the community at-large.

Full Site (see the entry for “site”)

Hospital Component

The New York City Cure Violence Hospital Component uses Hospital Responders to deliver anti-violence messages and messages of change. Through this component, Hospital Responders support patient and family needs at the time of the violent injury, work to de-escalate emotions at the hospital scene, coordinate street level intervention when appropriate, connect patients with services and programs to promote safe and healthy behavior, and aim to reduce retaliation among patients cared for at the hospital.

Hospital Responder

(Also called “HR”)
Hospital Responders are credible messengers who deliver anti-violence messages and services to victims of violent trauma from within the hospital as well as support as they transition out of medical care. This is done with the aim of convincing the victim not to retaliate against his or her assailant and to change his norms towards violence overall.

Outreach Worker

(Also called “OW”)
An outreach worker has a caseload of 15-20 high risk participants. Outreach workers mentor participants and create risk reduction plans to reduce the participant’s risk of engaging in violence, often assisting with job readiness, life skills, education resources, and other social services.

Partial Site (see the entry for “site”)

Site

A site refers to the physical location of a Cure Violence program or may refer to the program itself. Sites may be designated as either full or partial. Full sites are those that are fully operational within their catchment sites, while partial sites are those still in the development stages of operation.

Violence Interrupter

(Also called “VI”)
A violence interrupter is not responsible for managing a caseload. They are responsible for engaging high risk youth and monitoring the pulse of the community in order to reduce shootings and killings. They are constantly in the community on the lookout to mediate conflicts that can turn deadly. As change agents, they work simultaneously to change behavioral norms and interrupt violence.

Wrap-Around Services

Wrap-around services are programs and services offered through Cure Violence programs – but that are not a core part of the Cure Violence Model – in order to sustain positive changes in program participants and support efforts to desist from crime and violence.

**This information was collected from a number of sources, included the staff of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Health, Cure Violence professionals, the National Cure Violence web materials and the staff of the John Jay Research & Center.