MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (March 30, 2023) – Children’s Minnesota announced a new partnership today to support patients and families who are the victims of violence. The organization is joining the Next Step violence intervention and prevention program. Next Step aims to interrupt the cycle of recurrent violence and help youth and young adults avoid re-injury and further trauma. Children’s Minnesota will be the first exclusively pediatric health system to partner with Next Step, which is based at Hennepin Healthcare and has partnerships with other metro health systems and the City of Minneapolis.
“The unfortunate reality is that kids and families in our community are facing an epidemic of violence,” said James Burroughs, senior vice president of government and community relations and chief equity and inclusion officer at Children’s Minnesota. “But violence is preventable, and like with other diseases, there are steps we can take to prevent the spread of violence and help kids and young adults heal and recover.”
For the first time, respondents to Children’s Minnesota’s 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) identified community safety, or lack thereof, as a primary concern and discussed how it can have a significant impact on the health of children and families.
What is Next Step?
Next Step is a hospital-based violence intervention program that connects youth and young adult victims of violence to resources and support. The goals of the program are as follows:
- Reduce the rate of violent re-injury and re-hospitalization for survivors of a stabbing, gunshot or other violent injury.
- Support positive development and holistic healing for survivors and families who are affected by violence.
- Interrupt the cycle of recurrent violence.
Next Step in action
When the survivor of violent injury arrives at the hospital, a Next Step Youth Development Specialist is called to provide immediate bedside support and intervention. The specialist meets with survivors throughout the length of their hospital stay. Once survivors are discharged, Next Step guides them through a goal plan and connects them with the necessary resources.
The Next Step program at Children’s Minnesota will involve partnership between the Next Step team and multiple Children’s Minnesota teams including trauma, emergency department, critical care, hospitalists, nursing, social work, security and the Collective for Community Health.
About Children’s Minnesota
Children’s Minnesota is one of the largest pediatric health systems in the United States and the only health system in Minnesota to provide care exclusively to children, from before birth through young adulthood. An independent and not-for-profit system since 1924, Children’s Minnesota is one system serving kids throughout the Upper Midwest at two free-standing hospitals, nine primary care clinics, multiple specialty clinics and seven rehabilitation sites. As The Kids Experts™ in our region, Children’s Minnesota is regularly ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a top children’s hospital.
Find us on Facebook @childrensminnesota or on Twitter and Instagram @childrensmn. Please visit childrensMN.org.
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Nick Petersen