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Violence Prevention Task Force

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Awareness and concern regarding violence has been heightened in Kalamazoo over the past several years. This includes several incidences which were very visible at both the local and national level. Many feel a desire to understand why these events occurred and a call to action to develop a plan for prevention in the future. To augment the work being done by other parties and after conversations with funders and other agencies in the area, Prevention Works is taking a lead role, in collaboration with Gryphon Place and YWCA Kalamazoo, to convene a Task Force for violence prevention in the Kalamazoo community. Prevention Works has extensive experience mobilizing communities for collective impact relative to health issues (Heroin Crisis 2008, Kalamazoo County Substance Abuse Task Force). They are a team of certified Prevention Specialists and Consultants who are trained in coalition building and strategic networks using the Public Health Model and the Strategic Prevention Framework. It is because of their experience and outcomes that they have built a reputation in the community for public health work, including community mobilization around issues. The collaboration of Prevention Works, Gryphon Place and YWCA Kalamazoo is strong and far-reaching. Together, these organizations will be working collectively to build a structure for the establishment of a Violence Prevention Task Force.

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Define and monitor the problem:
The first step in preventing violence is to understand the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where” and “how” associated with it. This involves analyzing the data from police reports, medical examiner files, vital records, hospital charts, registries, population-based surveys and other sources.

​Identify risk and protective factors:
Understanding what factors protect people or put them at risk for experiencing or perpetrating violence is also important. Risk and protective factors help identify where prevention efforts should be focused.

Develop and test prevention strategies:
Research data findings from needs assessments, community surveys, stakeholder interviews and focus groups are useful for designing prevention programs. Once programs are implemented, they are evaluated rigorously to determine their effectiveness.

Ensure widespread adoption:
Once prevention programs have been proven effective, they must be implemented and adopted more broadly. Dissemination techniques to promote widespread adoption include training, networking, technical assistance and evaluation.
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Step 1: Assess Needs: Assess community needs, resources, and readiness to address substance misuse

Step 2: Build Capacity: Focus on identifying resources and readiness for addressing substance misuse in communities

Step 3: Plan: Plan effectively by prioritizing risk and protective factors and building logic models

Step 4: Implement: Develop action plans to implement the chosen prevention intervention

Step 5: Evaluation: Quantifies the challenges and successes of implementing a prevention program

Violence Prevention Steering Committee

Bronson Hospital
Amy Terry, System Director Comm. Health & Grants

City of Kalamazoo
City of Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety

Jeffrey Hadley, Chief
Donald Webster, Deputy Chief


City of Portage
Pete Strazdas, Mayor

City of Portage Public Safety
Nick Armold, Deputy Chief

Community Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services
Dave Ray, Manager, Provider Network Services

Eastside Neighborhood & Habitat for Humanity

Edison Neighborhood
Tammy Taylor, Executive Director

Family and Children Services
Diane Marquess, Behavioral Health Services Director

Gyphon Place
Maricela Alcala, CEO
Lacee Lyons, COO
Amy Dunham, School Programs Director

Hispanic American Council
Adrian Vazquez, Interim Executive Director

Kalamazoo Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Council
Sarah Joshi, Executive Director

Kalamazoo Community Foundation
Sholanna Lewis, Community Investment Manager

Kalamazoo County Health Department
Angela Anderson, Community Education Coordinator

Kalamazoo County Prosecutor
Jeff Getting, Prosecutor



Kalamazoo County Sheriff
Rick Fuller, Sheriff
​
Kalamazoo Regional Educational Services Agency
Dr. Margie McGlinchey, Asst. Superintendent for Instruction
Nkenge Bergan, Director of Student Services, KPS


Kalamazoo Strong Organization
Rachel Kaiser

​Northside Ministerial Alliance
Dr. Addis Moore, President, Mt. Zion Baptist
Rev. Lenzy Bell, Vice President, First United Baptist

Prevention Works, Inc.

Danielle Sielatycki, Executive Director
Amy Slancik, Director of Health Network Strategies

Senator Margaret O’Brien , 20 th State Senate District
Megan Hicks, District Director

Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health
Mindie Smith
​Anne Wickham, 
Director of Operation

Southwest Michigan First
Keith Kehlert, Director

United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region
Mike Larson, President & CEO
Robert Elchert, Community Impact Associate

Western Michigan University
Chief Scott Merlo, Director of Public Safety

YWCA
Grace Lubwama, CEO
Sherry Brockway, Director of Training & Community Impact
Cathy Brown, Director of Victim Services
Jessica Glynn, Senior Director of Law & Policy
Contact Us
Prevention Works, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Kalamazoo, Michigan
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  • Home
  • Register
  • PROGRAMS
    • Virtual Programming
    • DRIVE
    • Family Programs
  • MEET OUR TEAM
    • TEAM MEMBERS
    • BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    • COMMUNITY PARTNERS
  • Task Force
    • Vaping >
      • Vaping-Documents
    • Task Force Videos
    • Underage Drinking
    • Community Reports >
      • Alcohol Community Report
      • Marijuana Community Report
      • E-Cigs Community Report
      • Prescription Drug Community Report
  • Contact Us
    • Donate
    • Employment
    • Volunteer
    • Social Media
    • Podcasts