R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center

Prevention

Dr. Carnell Cooper named a CNN Hero for his violence prevention efforts. Plus, see video.

The Violence Prevention Program (VPP): Program Components

Violence Intervention Project (VIP)

The Violence Intervention Project (VIP) is an innovative and effective model of intervention for individuals often categorized as "unreachable". Project participants are from the most volatile and impoverished Baltimore neighborhoods where profound social problems impact the entire community. They are entrenched in a "daily mode of survival" which encourages and sustains the occurrence of impaired judgment, risk taking behavior, interpersonal violence, illegal/illicit activity, self-medication, impulsive reactions, inconsistent education, decreased empathy/personal responsibility, complicated medical concerns, and under-employment. Participants have usually been both a victim and a perpetrator of interpersonal violence in their lives.

The VIP engages these individuals during a point of personal crisis and assists in the use of healthy coping techniques to resolve the problems at hand. This relationship establishes a supportive foundation from which additional positive changes are possible.

Violence Intervention Project (VIP)
Recruiting Adult & Youth Victims of Violence at the bedside in the Shock Trauma Center. More Information on VIP

At risk for:
- Repeat victimization
- Perpetrator behavior
- Criminal activity
Population Served:
- 14 – 21 years of age (youth)
- Age 21> (adults)
- Victim of violence
Service Delivery
- Individual counseling
- Job readiness
- Peer support groups
- Referrals
- Parenting support
- Parole/Probation services
- Work & volunteer opportunities for clients
- Advocacy
- GED assistance

Promoting Healthy Alternatives for Teens (PHAT)
Operates as a single session designed to expose youth to positive & negative consequences associated with decision-making. More Information on PHAT
- At risk for:
  - Becoming a victim/ perpetrator of violence
  - Delinquent behavior

Population Served:
- 8 – 18 years of age
- Exposed to violence in community
- Possible victim/perpetrator of violence
Service Delivery
- Interactive tours of Shock Trauma Center with introductions to hospital staff
- Testimonials of violence victims & perpetrators
- Healthy coping mechanisms
- Professional internship opportunities
- Conflict resolution skills
- Creative self-expression through spoken word poetry & role playing exercises

My Future - My Career
An after-school program with violence prevention initiative while focusing on goals for the future including higher education and careers
- At risk for:
  - Dropping out of school
  - Delinquent behavior
  - Criminal activity

Population Served:
- 14 – 18 years of age
- Enrolled in a Baltimore City school
- Possible victim/perpetrator of violence
Service Delivery
- Academic development & medical career awareness
- Observe various medical professionals at work
- Creative self-expression through spoken word poetry

ARCHIVES OF SURGERY, article Vol. 135 No. 7, Pages 753-884, July 2000
Repeat Victims of Violence: Report of a Large Concurrent Case-control Study
The Journal of Trauma, September 2006, Volume 61, Issue 3
Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs Work.

This page was last updated on: October 13, 2009.

For all patient information, please call 410-328-9284.