FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Leslie Gianelli
[email protected]
(860) 918-7504
January 22, 2025, Washington, DC – The Weitzman Institute, in collaboration with Active Plus and Johns Hopkins University, has been awarded a prestigious grant under the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) FY24 Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) Research and Evaluation program.
The grant award, $1M over three years, will fund critical research to evaluate Heal Our Youth, a 10-week, place-based intervention in Brooklyn and the Bronx, New York. Heal Our Youth’s innovative, strengths-based approach combines restorative justice and mindfulness training to reduce and prevent violence in limited-opportunity communities. Restorative justice and mindfulness represent a paradigm shift away from punitive responses to community violence after it occurs.
“There is promising evidence that restorative justice and mindfulness each have great potential to help prevent violence in the communities most impacted by it,” said principal investigator Dr. April Joy Damian, a psychiatric epidemiologist who directs the Weitzman Institute. “However, these two practices in combination have never been rigorously studied for the prevention of community violence and its recurrence. We look forward to partnering with Active Plus, young people, families, and communities in Brooklyn and the Bronx, and researchers at Johns Hopkins as we seek to deepen our shared understanding of this innovative program model.”
The CVIPI grant aims to support evidence-based programs that reduce community violence, particularly in areas disproportionately affected by crime. Heal Our Youth has been working with young people in New York City for over a decade. The Weitzman Institute will assess the program’s effectiveness, involving 240 youth in six sites where communities experience high levels of violence. Johns Hopkins University will provide additional research support and contribute to the development of evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and community leaders.
The evaluation will not only contribute to the body of knowledge on violence prevention but will also help shape future strategies aimed at reducing violence and improving public safety in urban areas across the country.
“This project represents a powerful step toward healing and empowering marginalized youth in the Bronx and Brooklyn, New York,” said Mr. Tarik Kitson, founder and director of Active Plus. “Through the Heal Our Youth program, Active Plus aims to provide young people with the tools for resilience, self-awareness, and conflict resolution in environments where these skills are crucial. We’re honored to work with the Weitzman Institute and the Department of Justice to bring a meaningful impact to these communities, aligning with our mission to foster wellness, safety, and opportunity for all.”
Tamar Mendelson, PhD, Bloomberg Professor of American Health at Johns Hopkins University, said she is thrilled to partner with the Weitzman Institute and Active Plus on this important project. “My long-term research on mindfulness strategies for young people in marginalized urban communities has convinced me these approaches can be powerful tools for promoting youth wellness and positive relationships,” noted Dr. Mendelson, who directs the Center for Adolescent Health at Johns Hopkins. “Integrating restorative justice with mindfulness has great potential to reduce community violence and empower young people to achieve their full potential.”
“We are grateful to the Department of Justice for its commitment to reducing community violence,” said Dr. Damian of the Weitzman Institute. “Our goal is to develop data-driven insights that will inform future efforts to create safer communities where youth can flourish.”
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About The Weitzman Institute
Grounded in the core values of excellence and innovation, the mission of the Weitzman Institute is to inspire innovation through research, education, and policy to ensure that effective, efficient and equitable primary care is available to all. For more information, visit www.weitzmaninstitute.org.