CHWs in Community-Based Violence Prevention

Speakers

Laurie Hawkins, Senior Health Program Manager, St. Louis Community College.

Laurie has planned, managed, directed, and implemented all non-credit healthcare training programs, including Community Health Worker since its inception in 2016. Ms. Hawkins currently serves on the Missouri CHW Curriculum Provider and Task Advisory Board, is a member of the Missouri CHW Statewide Association, participates in the HEAL meetings hosted by Integrated Health Network, and collaborates with all CHWs, CHW Board of Leaders and CHW Coalition; as well as CHW employers in St. Louis.

Brian Washington, Strategist-Initiatives, Missouri Foundation for Health.

Mr. Washington has worked on the Firearm Violence Prevention (FVP) initiative at the Missouri Foundation for Health since he joined the organization in September 2020. He serves as the primary contact at MFH for both St. Louis Community College and The HAVI during this violence prevention component development for the college's CHW program.

Colleen Armstrong, Senior Manager for Planning and Design, The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI).

Colleen Armstrong (she/her/hers) is the Senior Manager for Planning and Design at the HAVI. She brings over a decade of experience in gender-based violence prevention and direct victim services to her role at the HAVI. Prior to joining the HAVI, Colleen provided training and technical assistance on recognizing, preventing, and responding to sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking to audiences across the country ranging from middle schools to elected officials. She is deeply committed to building a violence-free world where everyone has the support they need to achieve immediate safety as well as access to spaces and resources to heal and build their resilience.

Session Description

Missouri has one of the highest rates of gun violence in the US, rising to record levels in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This session will explore the importance of addressing firearm and community violence as a public health crisis and ways that CHWs can support violence intervention and prevention strategies. Participants will also learn about a new partnership between Missouri Foundation for Health, The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention, and St. Louis Community College to integrate violence prevention competencies into the CHW curriculum, and ways that CHWs, curriculum providers, and community health organizations can utilize new trainings to support community-based violence reduction strategies.