Publications

After a trauma, it’s normal to experience flashbacks, anxiety, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Grounding techniques help control these symptoms by turning attention away from thoughts, memories, or worries, and refocusing on the present moment.

Background 

Community-based violence intervention (CVI) programs are considered important strategies for preventing community violence and promoting health and safety. Mixed and inconclusive results from some prior CVI evaluations—and our general lack of understanding about the reasons for such varied findings—may be explained in part by misalignment of program theories of change and evaluation measures. Further, most prior evaluations have focused solely on deficit-based outcomes; this narrow focus is inconsistent with the premise of CVI and may fail to capture improvements in health and wellbeing that are on the hypothesized pathway from intervention to violence reduction.

Methods 

This paper describes the process and results of co-developing a theory of change for community-based youth firearm violence intervention and prevention programs in Washington state through a community-researcher partnership. We followed a multi-step iterative process, involving 1) CVI program documentation review, 2) individual meetings, and 3) a day-long workshop.

Results 

The theory of change included 6 key domains: 1) root causes, 2) promotive factors, 3) activities, 4) inter-mediate outcomes, 5) longer-term outcomes, and 6) multi-level context (youth/family, staff/organizational, community, and societal). Root causes were social and structural drivers of community violence. Promotive factors were assets and resources among the community, youth/their families, and community organizations that promote health and safety. Activities were supports and services the program provided to youth and their families, staff, and potentially the broader community. Inter-mediate and longer-term outcomes were the changes among youth, their families, staff, and the community that resulted from program activities. Inter-mediate outcomes may be felt within 6 months to 1 year and longer-term outcomes may be felt after 1-2 years and beyond.

Conclusions 

The theory of change we co-developed provides a common lens to conceptualize, compare, and evaluate CVI programs in Washington state and may support more rigorous and equity-centered evaluations.

Study type: original investigation

UW Medicine offers financial assistance to Washington state residents, whether insured or uninsured, based on income and family size. This program covers Airlift Northwest, Harborview Medical Center, UW Medical Center, UW Physicians, Valley Medical Center, and UW Medicine Primary Care.

Housing contacts and resources.

Community Connectors program provides assistance to food bank clients and connects them to services with a goal of moving toward self-sufficiency.

Purchase safe gun storage devices. In-store and online retailers listed.

Information about firearm locking devices and safety.

An Extreme Risk Protection Order directs a person to surrender their firearms. It would be illegal to access, receive, purchase, possess, have control of, or attempt to purchase or receive firearms. It restrains the person from obtaining a concealed pistol license and orders them to surrender a license if they already have one.

One out of every three homes with children in the U.S. has a firearm. Many of these firearms are kept unlocked or loaded. Children and teens are at the greatest risk of unintentional deaths, injuries and suicides from firearms. Young children are naturally curious. They explore in drawers, cabinets and closets. Some older children and teens are attracted to firearms and see them as signs of power. Each year in Washington state, about 70 deaths of children and teens involve a firearm. Most of these shootings occur in or around the home.