In a recent study published in Prevention Science, researchers from the University of Washington interviewed 20 mentors and administrators working in community violence intervention programs across Washington state to identify the practices they believe are most important to preventing firearm violence among young people. Using those interviews, the researchers developed a practical framework describing the common components of successful violence intervention programs, concluding that the study “illustrates the components in mentoring interventions within CVI programs…perceived as essential in preventing firearm violence among young people.” The full study is worth your time, but here are some of the topline findings:
- Shared Lived Experience Builds Trust Among Participants. Researchers found successful CVI programs “actively seek out and recruit … individuals with [] specific lived experiences [from the community]” and a program administrator explained why: “They really have to have the knowledge of that [community]. Not read it in some book … because it’s just different [for credibility].” Another administrator said recruitment into the CVI program depends on community relationships because “there’s no website where you can go to find people with lived experience … so, you really gotta talk to people in the community.” One mentor recalled a young person telling him that he trusted his mentor explicitly because he had similar lived experience and was “the only one that understands what it’s like… we really appreciate you coming here…”
- Successful CVI Programs Pair Mentoring With Practical Support. The researchers conclude that “mentoring to prevent firearm violence is impossible without addressing basic and essential needs,” including “housing, food, safety.” They describe mentors “providing a young person with clothes … helping a young person go through the process of getting their driver’s license … helping a young person apply for a housing program.” One mentor added: “If you have a client that has probation appointments, I always try to offer to take them there … [some] parents are working or [some] parents aren’t involved, so … mentors help do that and get them there.”
- Families, Schools And Probation Are Integrated Into The Intervention. The researchers found “the family is a vital aspect of the service provision,” with mentors working across the systems surrounding young people. One mentor said it’s about “transforming it into their language … to go over paperwork, to go over plea deals, so they know what they’re signing.” Another mentor explained, “We have a caseload meeting where probation officers and other people are involved,” while one program administrator said, “It’s very critical that we collaborate with school systems, because they have our kids majority of the time… and so understanding and training them, giving them awareness… [builds better outcomes].”
Momentum For CVI Programs Around The Country:
- Milwaukee Launches Initiative To Expand Violence Intervention Programs Countywide. For the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Zachary Suri reports Milwaukee County announced a $1.5 million grant from the Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention aimed at expanding the promising CVI programs in operation throughout the county. David Crowley, County Executive, explained to the newspaper that the initiative will combine new investments with existing violence intervention and mental wellness programs to “help us reach people before violence reaches them and create opportunities and hope for young people across Milwaukee County.” For Wisconsin Watch, Devin Blake reported that the initiative will connect residents with employment opportunities, housing assistance, mental health support and violence intervention services while building on existing programs that have already shown promising results. According to the county, “95% of [CVI program] fellows reported no new gun injuries and that 76% of youths who participated in [the program] recently had no referral or offense while in the program.”
- Albuquerque Expands Violence Intervention Program With Trauma Therapy And Youth Economic Support. Albuquerque Community Safety Department, which oversees the city’s CVI program, announced two new initiatives expanding the city’s Violence Intervention Program, including a $600,000 partnership with Youth Development Inc. to provide therapy, trauma recovery services and case management through the city’s Trauma Recovery Center. Mayor Tim Keller said the investment will strengthen the center’s ability to “connect Albuquerque residents with healing, support, and hope,” while YDI CEO Robert Chavez said the partnership will “expand access to proven therapeutic services that help individuals and families recover from trauma and build safer futures.”
ACS also announced a second initiative providing 20 young people participating in the city’s School-Based Violence Intervention Program and Youth Violence Intervention Program with $750 per month for one year, paired with job training, educational support, therapy, financial counseling and mentoring. ACS Director Jodie Esquibel said the program “helps remove barriers while creating pathways to education, employment, and long-term success.”
- In San Antonio, “Data Shows Violence Prevention Programs Work.” For the San Antonio Report, Diego Medel reports on new city data showing declines across every major category of violent crime between 2022 and 2025, including a 56% reduction in homicides and a 46% decline in shootings, while highlighting the city’s violence interruption program as a key component of those results. Violence Prevention Administrator Erica Haller-Stevenson noted that the city’s CVI program interrupted 488 violent conflicts in fiscal year 2025—conflicts that “had the potential to escalate into shootings,” while Councilmember Teri Castillo, a champion of the city’s CVI program, explained that the program works because it connects residents with “mentors, employment opportunities and other support before they become involved in violence.”