Akron outlines linked hospital intervention, street teams and youth programs to reduce violence

City of Akron officials described a coordinated package of violence‑prevention and intervention programs during the city’s operating‑budget hearings, saying the work ranges from bedside hospital intervention to community street teams and youth workforce initiatives.

Rochelle Wardell, the mayor’s education and health strategist, said the administration is finalizing a hospital‑linked violence intervention model that would have trained intervention specialists meet survivors at the bedside and connect them to case management and services for up to 18 months. “Survivors will be met bedside by specially trained intervention specialist employed by Minority Behavioral Health,” Wardell said, adding the model emphasizes “care first, then intervention.” She said the city expects approval this spring to move forward with implementation.

The hospital plan is one part of a larger effort that includes the street‑level intervention work being run by the city’s public‑safety strategist and a youth prevention program funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. Tony Ingram, public safety strategist, described a “street team” of credible messengers now employed by Minority Behavioral Health that respond to shootings and make outreach to people and families at high risk of further violence. “We are currently active,” Ingram said of the street team, and he said the pilot will be evaluated over an 18‑month period.

Danico Buckley Knight, the city’s youth opportunity strategist, said the ARPA‑funded Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) program supported 40 nonprofit organizations implementing community programming in 2024. He said community engagement identified seven prioritized focus areas — mentorship, recreation, reentry, police‑youth relations, gun reduction, mental‑health services and community awareness — and the city added a workforce‑development focus to help out‑of‑school youth obtain credentials and work experience.

Officials described planned evaluation and partnership structures. Ingram said the city will “continue to work with the street team in Minority Behavioral Health to continue to frame what that looks like and research and evaluate that pilot over the next 18 months.” Wardell said hospital partners requested a “care‑first” model and described coordination with hospital trauma and community relations staff.

City leaders said the programs will be implemented in phases, and that outside evaluation and national partners — including Bloomberg‑Johns Hopkins and others mentioned in testimony — will assist in shaping and measuring outcomes. Wardell said national evidence shows hospital‑linked programs reduce repeat violent injury and the city’s model is being designed to match local partners’ needs.

Officials repeatedly emphasized that the work is not a single agency’s responsibility: the mayor’s office, public safety, hospitals, behavioral‑health providers and community nonprofits all have roles. Ingram said future work will expand the definition of community safety beyond gun violence to include intimate‑partner violence and other community harms.

Implementation and evaluation timelines were described as near‑term: Wardell said the hospital program expects spring approval to proceed; Ingram said the street‑team pilot will be evaluated over 18 months once active; Danico Buckley Knight said VIP evaluation of 2024 programs is ongoing.

The presentations did not include a detailed, line‑item budget for each element beyond noting ARPA funds support the VIP nonprofits and Minority Behavioral Health is the employer for the street‑team credible messengers. Officials said they will return with more specifics as contracts, procurements and evaluation plans are finalized.