CDC Citizen's Advisory Council

In November 2015, the Department of Health and Social Services released the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) report on gun violence in Wilmington. The work of the CDC produced a predictive model that would allow us to identify those individuals most likely to commit a violent crime, particularly with a gun. To follow up on its work, the CDC made three recommendations to the State of Delaware:

1. Increase collaboration between Delaware social service agencies in preventing violence by developing the capacity to link and share data between Delaware's various social service agencies in an ongoing fashion.
2. Further refine the pilot risk assessment tool by using the full administrative dataset. Focusing the risk assessment on youth is likely to be the most feasible approach and youth are most likely to experience lifelong benefits from prevention programs.
3. Establish a community advisory board to provide recommendations on proposed evidence-based, wrap-around services/programs to be provided for high risk youth in conjunction with the recommended risk assessment tool.

The Advisory Council will partner with community experts and key stakeholders to:

1. Create a common understanding of the CDC's predictive analytic model and risk assessment tool to identify populations at risk and also the public health and social services' conditions that lead to gun violence.
2. Build an inventory of existing successful community programs, best practices, community assets and available resources.
3. Utilize evidenced based practices to recommend approaches to develop a system of integrated services such as: job placement/support, cognitive behavioral therapy, parenting and intensive family focused interventions, educational interventions, and street outreach, among others, that are highly focused to prevent firearm violence among individuals identified as high risk by predictive analytic modeling.
4. Advocate and develop recommendations to increase collaboration between Delaware Health and Social Service agencies, the Department of Public Education, Department of Labor, Department of Services for Children Youth & Families and state community based organizations that support the community to prevent violence by developing a common understanding of their needs.

Working together, we have a tremendous opportunity to identify the interventions that will break the cycle of gun violence for the victims and for the perpetrators. By adding your strong voice, the Community Advisory Council can help to make Wilmington a safer, stronger and healthier community for everyone.

Last Updated: Thursday September 20 2018