Advance Peace Fresno Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention

Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission Advance Peace (Advance Peace Fresno) proposes to implement the Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative. Advance Peace Fresno seeks to reduce barriers to care for victims with culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate services for people living in Fresno. Funding will support to young adults aged 17–24 who are at the center of gun violence—people who are perpetrators in gun violence and young adults who are victims to it. Program participants are young adults who are on parole, are suspected of a firearms assault, or experienced violence. Advance Peace goals are to: (1) increase supportive services for fellows with financial support; (2) share the latest research and understandings on gun violence prevention with community-based partners; and (3) deliver culturally responsive, trauma-informed case management. This program will reduce the rates of firearm assaults and gun-related homicides citywide. Advance Peace does this with seven key program components: intensive case management, developing LifeMAP goals, daily check-ins, referral navigation, intergenerational mentorship through Elders Circle, internship opportunities, LifeMAP Milestone Allowance, and Transformative Travel stipends. Advance Peace coordinates with community partners, a multisectoral partnership of local leaders that fight human trafficking in our region. Leading research partners, Safe Passages, and University of California, Berkeley, will help support research efforts to identify and understand the conditions of gun violence in Fresno, California. With funding, Advance Peace Fresno will reimagine community safety with strong preventative measures that amplifies the voices of those impacted by gun violence.