Coordinated Systemic Responses to Violence in Baltimore

The City of Baltimore, through the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), seeks funding for an interagency collaborative that will deliver tailored, wraparound support for young people at high risk of being victimized – by youth violence in Baltimore City.

The proposed initiative will introduce new interagency data-sharing and service agreements to truly address the unique stress points, barriers, and/or environmental challenges that place a young person at high risk of violent encounter. The collaborative will be comprised of Baltimore City agencies including MONSE, Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPSS), the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success (MOCFS), the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS), the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD), and the Baltimore Police Department (BPD). The shared expertise of the proposed collaborative will foster a network of support that is not only reactive but – more importantly – proactive in responding to individual risk factors.   

While there are processes currently in place within BCPSS to assess and address a young person’s susceptibility to violence, those insights and initiatives are often siloed within the public-school system. There is currently insufficient structure, including resources and comprehensive data-sharing agreements across city agencies, making it more difficult to coordinate timely, wraparound services that address immediate need in emergency situations for at-risk youth and their families. This proposal will outline a new protocol that is specifically designed to increase the meaningful collaboration of coordinated care across city schools, MONSE, and other local agencies. The program will improve means of communication, program coordination, and isolated data sharing during a crisis or emergency, consistent with all applicable laws regarding data privacy.

The project service area is the City of Baltimore, Maryland. The proposed initiative will benefit Baltimore City youth ages 7-21 who are at risk of imminent harm to others through an act of youth violence. Young people will be identified for case management if they have been victims of gun violence, witnessed gun violence as well as the sibling or family member of a victim of gun violence.  The interagency team will develop a real time continuum-of-support plan and next steps for interagency action that leverages a suite of community resources, trauma-informed support, and opportunities for personal development.