- Panel discusses strategies to prevent gun violence in Omaha community.
- Emphasis on early intervention to save lives and avoid incarceration.
- CHI Health awarded a $600,000 grant to support gun violence reduction efforts.
- Dr. Katherine Hoops highlights the need for behavioral health services.
- Community focus on reaching individuals before they make harmful choices.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
CHI Health hosted a panel to discuss the need to reduce gun violence. Experts emphasize early intervention and behavioral health services as key strategies to reduce gun violence in Omaha.
"If we can get to those individuals before they make that decision,, really we're saving lives but also we're preventing that individual,, from going to prison or going to jail and making that that harmful choice," said YouTurn Assistant Directer Stewart Giddings.
CHI Health received a 600 thousand dollar grant to help reduce gun violence. Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Doctor Katherine Hoops spoke Monday about the importance of behavioral health services, early intervention and education.
"If you equip clinicians with a little bit of education on how to broach the conversation, how to field some initial questions, and then give them some really good tools for, you know, that they can, can share with, with patients, I think, you know, that's huge," said Dr Hoops.
CHI staff say the grant money will be used for education, training, partnerships, and intervention.
They're working alongside YouTurn, a non profit. Giddings says he knows what it's like to be on the other side of gun violence. He says these program not only save young peoples lives..but, help pave their future.
"We're working on our initiative and we're going to,, reengage a trauma response so when individuals do get harmed,, in the community,, our team will also engage with the hospital," said Giddings.
Part of CHI's grant money will also be used to provide safety boxes to gun owners who don't already have them.
