comprehensive and well-coordinated public health approaches to community violence reduction both within and across highly impacted communities. Both RFPs closed in 2022, with program implementation beginning in early 2023. The RFP for Community Violence Reduction Plans from High-Priority Areas aims to reduce violence within highly impacted communities and asked for community stakeholder collaboration to: 1. Create a community violence reduction plan, which includes commitment from implementing and facility partners to carry out their chosen community violence reduction programs. 2. Choose a lead agency (who will be referred to as the Community Quarterback) to coordinate and oversee the implementation of that community violence reduction plan on behalf of the community. Funding was prioritized for highly impacted communities outside of the City of Pittsburgh, with some exceptions: Sto-Rox, Penn Hills, Greater Wilkinsburg Area, South Hilltop (Mount Oliver Borough and Pittsburgh’s Allentown, Beltzhoover, Knoxville and Carrick neighborhoods), Woodland Hills (Braddock, East Pittsburgh, North Braddock, Rankin, Swissvale and Turtle Creek), and Mon Valley (Clairton, Duquesne, McKeesport and Homestead). In addition to existing efforts, the county is also funding the following evidence-based community violence reduction programs within highly impacted communities. • Cure Violence treats violence like a disease and disrupts it through credible violence interrupters, prevents it by connecting those most at-risk to services, and changes
community norms around violence. The program focuses on those at highest risk of victimization from or perpetration of gun violence, primarily young adults ages 18 through 34. • Becoming A Man (BAM) is a school-based program that employs full-time licensed counselors who work with at-risk young men in grades 6 through 12, five days a week, through cognitive behavioral therapy, peer support and future orientation. • Rapid Employment and Development Initiative (READI) is a paid transitional jobs program that is primarily focused on violence prevention by identifying those at highest risk of victimization from or perpetration of gun violence, primarily young adults ages 18 through 34. Outreach workers engage men at highest risk, who build skills and take part in cognitive behavioral therapy through the format of a 9-to-5 workday, five days a week. Communities implementing these programs receive ongoing training and technical assistance from program developers to ensure program fidelity. Additionally, ACHD’s Office of Violence Prevention will continue to monitor Cure Violence sites. Awardees from the Community Violence Reduction Plans from High-Priority Areas RFP include 1. Sto-Rox: Focus on Renewal (Community Quarterback) and their implementing and facility partners for Cure Violence, READI and BAM (Sto-Rox H.S). 2. Penn Hills: Penn Hills School District (Community Quarterback) and their implementing and facility partners for Safe Spaces and BAM (Penn Hills H.S)
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