JUNE 2013, VOLUME 3, NUMBER 5
 

IN THIS ISSUE 

From Trauma to Triumph 

Forum Feature: Salinas 

Announcements & Upcoming Events 

• Training opportunities 

• Funding opportunities 

News & Views 

• Reports 

• News 

• Other resources 

FROM TRAUMA 

TO TRIUMPH 

"Sometimes the course of our lives depends on 

what we do or don't do in a few seconds, a 

heartbeat, when we either seize the opportunity, 

or just miss it. Miss the moment and you never 

get a chance again." —Aidan Chambers 

For those of us fighting to reduce youth violence, 

there is a point at which intervention stands to 

have a life-changing influence. It may last as long 

as a few days or no more than a few hours, but 

this window of opportunity—when violence 

victims are more receptive and willing to change 

their life course—opens in an unexpected place: 

the emergency rooms and trauma centers of 

hospitals throughout the country. 

The City of San Jose is conducting a pilot 

program for violence victims admitted to Valley 

Medical Center's (VMC's) emergency room. 

Partnering with the Mayor's Gang Prevention 

Task Force, the VMC Trauma to Triumph program 

meets victims at a symbolic precipice, intervening 

with patients, their families, and friends at a time 

when they are frightened and susceptible to 

retaliating. At this crucial point, victims may be 

more receptive to services that can turn their lives 

FORUM FEATURE: 

SALINAS 

Staying Connected in Salinas: Social Media and Youth

Violence Prevention 

The avenues of communication for today's teens are constantly 

repaved and widened by advances in technology. Keeping pace 

with a generation on the cutting edge is challenging, but the City 

of Salinas, California, found that a promising opportunity 

accompanies that challenge, providing information, resources, 

and support—important tools in a community's struggle against 

youth and gang violence. 

With trends in gang recruitment showing a focus on adolescents 

and teens, reaching out to youth in the most effective ways 

possible is crucial for reducing participation and youth violence as 

a whole. As more young people access the Internet and 

participate in social media, the door to reaching community youth 

en masse is wide open. According to a March 13, 2013, report[1] 

released by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American 

Life Project, 78 percent of American teens have a cell phone. 

Forty-seven percent of those devices are smartphones capable of 

accessing the Internet anywhere, anytime. Ninety-five percent of 

polled teens use the Internet and 71 percent said their primary 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in a positive direction and divert them from 

perpetuating a cycle of violence that leads to 

more crime, jail time, injury, depression, or death. 

The Trauma to Triumph program brings 

opportunity, high-impact settings, and resources 

together in one place to end violence once and 

for all. 

"What excites me most about this program is the 

opportunity to maximize the 'golden window' to 

get to young people at the right time and place," 

said Mario Maciel, San Jose's National Forum 

Coordinator. "With this program, we are not 

reacting too late." 

Program staff at VMC emphasize the importance 

of making an impact during a victim's brief period 

of vulnerability. If the opportunity is missed, 

victims may think because they survived, they 

must be invincible—an irrational, sometimes 

dangerous belief. 

The program had its origins in 1993 when tattoo 

removal became a recognized way to assist 

intervention efforts, making it easier for young 

people to separate themselves from gangs and 

gang lifestyles. Trauma to Triumph is based on 

longstanding programs in Oakland and San 

Francisco and was initiated in San Jose in 

September 2012. Thirty-three people have met 

the criteria for admission, but only 26 were 

solicited due to appropriate staff being off duty 

(community interventionists and medical social 

workers are not available on weekends) when 

they were admitted to VMC. Of these 26 

individuals, 21 agreed to service after providing 

full consent. 

VMC trauma staff and community interventionists 

meet monthly to review active cases as part of a 

larger memorandum of understanding between 

the City of San Jose and VMC that outlines how 

the program should be operated. Domestic 

violence cases are not accepted and trauma staff 

must be vigilant in avoiding ethnic profiling of 

gang members. 

Maciel and a network of service providers are 

responsible for victims after they are released 

from VMC. They follow the victim for 6 months 

and use city/county services, support from the 

faith-based community, and even relocation 

computer is shared by family. 

The City of Salinas and other members of the Community Alliance 

for Safety and Peace (CASP), a coalition of community leaders 

and local organizations, educators, and nonprofits, are working to 

make the most of these trends. "We have a Web site, 

www.future-futuro.org, which highlights programs, interviews, 

and resources for community members to learn more about what 

is offered in our city and county," said Georgina Mendoza, 

Community Safety Director for the City of Salinas and CASP 

Director. "We also have a Facebook page 

(https://www.facebook.com/future.futuro) to pass on the 

message and reach out to more people, as well as [to] give 

people an opportunity to share their resources and opinions." 

Along with providing a forum for community members to post and 

share their experiences, Future-Futuro.org and For Our 

Future/Para Nuestro Futuro on Facebook serve as repositories for 

violence reduction strategies and provide resources, book 

recommendations, and a trove of community activities to keep 

youth off the streets and out of trouble. But CASP's adult 

members are not alone in pursuing a gang and violence-free 

community—youth from Salinas and Monterey County play key 

roles in getting the message out to their peers. 

One such youth leader making a big impact on the effectiveness 

of CASP's social media tools is Fernanda Ocana. Fernanda 

began volunteering in her community in 2010. Getting the 

opportunity to work alongside other CASP members inspired her 

to go further. "I was first introduced to CASP by Georgina 

Mendoza," said Ocana, who believes involving youth in the 

violence prevention mission has been a success for Salinas. 

"Hearing about the great work CASP members are constantly 

doing made me want to be part of it. The more youth who get the 

privilege to have mentors or the opportunity to work and be 

around great community leaders, the more amazing leaders we 

will have later." 

CASP gives presentations at local schools to make students 

aware of the resources available through the coalition's Web site 

and Facebook page. As part of a project for the National Forum 

on Youth Violence Prevention, Mendoza and Ocana worked 

together to form a Salinas youth council—an opportunity for local 

young people to learn about leadership and positive influences. 

According to Ocana, the efforts to connect with youth through 

social media have been successful. "The Facebook page and 

Web site are definitely great ways to reach out to our community 

members," she said. "Aside from the pages themselves, I believe 

the way they have been presented to youth [help] introduce 

community members to the different work CASP is [doing], and 

most importantly, what community members can do to make a 

positive change themselves." 

According to the Pew report, one in four teens is a "cell mostly" 

Internet user with mobile access to the Web. In the future, CASP 

may be able to instantly reach this growing portion of everconnected young people through Twitter. "We are looking into 

starting a Twitter account, since we know how effective it can be," 

said Mendoza. In the meantime, CASP will continue to rely on 

youth leaders to communicate and connect with peers about the 

critical missions of violence prevention and fostering a peaceful 

community. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

planning for at-risk youth. Eighteen people 

currently participate in Trauma to Triumph. Three 

people have completed the program: two were 

successfully discharged while one person was 

unsuccessful. 

Other programs of this nature are becoming 

viable options for juvenile victims in the United 

States. SafERteens is one such program, where 

teens taken to the emergency room as a result of 

heavy alcohol use or violent encounters complete 

a series of decisional balance exercises and roleplaying scenarios that emphasize risk avoidance 

and healthy decision making. 

[1]Mary Madden, Amanda Lenhart, Maeve Duggan, Sandra 

Cortesi, and Urs Gasser. 2013. "Teens and Technology 2013." 

Pew Internet & American Life Project. Accessed June 12, 2013. 

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/ 

Teens-and-Tech.aspx. 

NEWS 

& VIEWS 

"The opportunity to partner with organizations 

such as the hospital in the early stages creates 

relationships with great possibilities for future 

collaboration," said Maciel. 

Extricating young people from dangerous 

circumstances and poor lifestyle choices is 

challenging work. Mario's efforts are supported by 

the VMC trauma staff led by Director John Sherck 

with assistance from Program Manager Eileen 

Hoover, Medical Social Worker Lauren Schmidt, 

and Injury Prevention Coordinator Susie Ward. 

Together they are turning tragic circumstances 

into opportunities to reduce violence for life. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

& UPCOMING EVENTS
 

Training Opportunities 

The National Council of Juvenile and Family 

Court Judges will hold its 76th Annual 

Conference in Seattle, Washington, July 14–17, 

2013. The conference will provide juvenile and 

family court officials with information and tools to 

improve case processing and outcomes for 

children, youth, families, victims, and their 

communities. 

On July 16, 2013, the National Resource Center 

for Child Protective Services will host "Safety

Organized, Trauma-Informed, SolutionFocused Approach to Domestic Violence 

Cases in Child Protection," as part of a Webinar 

series. The Webinar will discuss safetyorganized, solution-focused engagement 

strategies for children, mothers, and fathers in 

settings where domestic violence is a protective 

concern. 

The Coalition for Juvenile Justice will host its 

2013 Youth Summit, "Empowering Young 

Reports 

Reforming Juvenile Justice 

National Academies Press, 2012 

Looking at evidence on adolescent development and effective 

responses to adolescent offending, this report aims to 

consolidate progress in science and policymaking and establish a 

strong platform for a 21st century juvenile justice system. 

PTSD, Trauma, and Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders in

Detained Youth 

Juvenile Justice Bulletin, 2013 

The authors discuss their findings on prevalence of trauma and 

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among juvenile detainees 

and PTSD's tendency to co-occur with other psychiatric disorders. 

Presence of PTSD increases the likelihood that at least one other 

psychiatric disorder exists—a challenge to the criminal justice and 

mental health systems. 

Juveniles in Residential Placement, 2010 

OJJDP, 2013 

In a review of national and state-level data from the Census of 

Juveniles in Residential Placement, this bulletin shows the 

population of juvenile offenders in custody has declined by one 

third since 1997. The number of status offenders in custody is 

down 52 percent. 

News 

Boston's Summer Public Safety Strategy 

Mayor Thomas M. Menino joined his summer safety team, 

including the Boston Police Commissioner, Public Health 

Commissioner, Chief of Human Services, and Boston Public 

Schools Superintendent, to announce a comprehensive,

proactive violence prevention strategy for summer. The 

approach will emphasize more outreach, more engagement, more 

officers, more collaboration, and more technology. 

Other Resources 

Reconnecting Youth 

New materials on youth issues and evidence initiatives are 

available on FindYouthInfo.gov. According to "Reconnecting 

Youth," disconnected youth are often defined as young people 

who are homeless, in foster care, involved in the justice system, 

or without employment or structured education Approximately 6 7 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaders for Juvenile Justice Reform," August
 

2–3, in Washington, D.C. Sessions will provide
 

information on juvenile justice basics,
 

disproportionate minority contact, the school-toprison pipeline, and leadership development.
 

On August 12–15, 2013, the Dallas Children's
 

Advocacy Center and Dallas Police Department
 

will host their annual Crimes Against Children
 

Conference. Workshops will include Preparing
 

Children to Testify in Court, Resiliency 101: From
 

Victim to Survivor, Modifying Assessments for
 

Child Sex Trafficking Cases, and Sexual
 

Victimization of Children: A Law Enforcement
 

Perspective over 40 Years.
 

Funding Opportunities 

OJJDP seeks applications for its National 

Juvenile Justice Information Sharing Training 

and Technical Assistance Program to build 

capacity of juvenile justice, child welfare, mental 

health, and education systems and use existing 

information-sharing standards, procedures, tools, 

and practices to improve services and outcomes 

for youth, families, and communities. Applications 

are due July 9, 2013. 

The Division of Innovation and Research
 

Fellowship Program on Juvenile Justice Data
 

fellowship will provide an opportunity for
 

researchers in juvenile justice, survey
 

methodology, and statistics to help implement
 

collaborative cross-agency strategies, policies,
 

and programs that enhance and improve data.
 

Applications are due July 15, 2013.
 

Contact Us 

Send questions or feedback about the newsletter to 

NFYVP@dsgonline.com or subscribe. 

or without employment or structured education. Approximately 6.7 

million youths exhibit one or more of the above risk factors and 

encounter multiple systems in the United States. 

Pathways for Youth 

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs has released 

Pathways for Youth, a strategic plan to improve youth outcomes 

—particularly for the most vulnerable youth. In developing the 

report, the Working Group collected input from young people, 

families, schools, nonprofit organizations, State Children's 

Cabinet directors, and government organizations. 

Childhood Bullying and Adult Psychiatric Disorders 

In a study conducted by Duke University, researchers revealed 

the degree to which bullying can affect a person's mental health. 

The study followed more than 1,000 youths starting at ages 9, 11, 

and 13, and interviewed the children each year until they turned 

16. 

Juvenile Justice System Structure and Process 

OJJDP has released the first in a series of national overviews 

that describe where states stand on various juvenile justice 

issues, including how they classify status offenses, extended age 

of jurisdiction, and administration of community supervision and 

aftercare services. 

Journal of Juvenile Justice 

In its spring 2013 issue of the Journal of Juvenile Justice, 

OJJDP addresses family-focused juvenile reentry services, 

parental acceptance–rejection theory, and functional family 

therapy for youth with behavioral problems. 

The National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Newsletter 

is prepared under Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention (OJJDP) Cooperative Agreement No. 2012–MU– 

FX–K009 with Development Services Group, Inc. 

The views, opinions, and content of this newsletter are those 

of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views, 

opinions, or policies of OJJDP.