The Kenney Administration and City Council, in partnership with United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ) and 211 Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA), announced the launch of a 24-hour Violence Prevention Hotline.
Callers can access resources and services related to gun violence prevention for themselves and their neighborhoods.
The new Hotline will provide real-time support to people at-risk for engaging in violence, or who are in neighborhoods experiencing high rates of gun violence. These supports are available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and are available via phone call, text, email, or website chat.
Developed in 2021 as a partnership between the Kenney Administration and City Council, the creation of the Hotline was a response to the surge in gun violence experienced in Philadelphia over the past two years.
The goal of the Hotline is to reduce the likelihood of individuals to engage in violence by offering real-time access to critical violence prevention and intervention services; and to help residents in neighborhoods experiencing high levels of violence to connect with services and resources that will help them address quality of life issues, as well as trauma resulting from persistent gun violence.
Available services
Examples of the kinds of services and resources available to residents who call the 2-1-1 Hotline for help include:
- Conflict Intervention
- Youth Violence Prevention
- Peer Counseling
- Referrals to Violence Prevention Community Organizations
- Neighborhood Crisis Mediation Services
- Workforce Development and Jobs Training programs
- Behavioral Health and Crisis Support Services
- Community Support Services (CLIP, L&I) for Vandalism, Graffiti, Litter, Vacant Lots
- After-school programming, mentoring & academic support services
UWGPSNJ and 211 SEPA are qualified to provide violence prevention hotline support and implementation. 211 SEPA is strengthened by a network of hundreds of partner agencies, programs and resources. It’s capable of providing translation in over 170 languages; provides interactions 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year; and has flexible communication channels with call, text and chat available.
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By dialing 2-1-1, callers are directed to a menu where the caller can select the Violence Prevention Hotline. These calls are routed to trained 211 Violence Prevention Hotline staff. During an interaction, callers are engaged in a conversation that involves active listening and information-gathering, resulting in the Resource Navigator directing the caller to the most appropriate referral service or agency.
Individuals that reach out to the Hotline are offered a follow-up contact, about one week after the initial call, at an agreed upon time, to determine if referrals were successful, or if further help is needed.
Specialized training
Hotline staff receive two to four weeks of specialized training and complete a shadowing process with experienced staff before being authorized to handle Hotline calls on their own. Staff receive ongoing training on topics such as trauma-informed care and mental health first aid, and are expected to complete the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) certification.
Philadelphians should call 911 if they experience or witness a crime in real time, City officials emphasized.
The Violence Prevention Hotline officially launched Monday, March 21, 2022.
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