St. Joseph's Awarded $58,000 Grant for Violence Prevention Initiative

St. Joseph's Area Health Services has been awarded a $58,000 grant to support a Violence Prevention Implementation program as a follow-up to work done last year to survey violence as it exists in Hubbard County and area communities.

The grant is provided by the Mission and Ministry Fund of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), St. Joseph's parent organization.

In 2009, St. Joseph's received a CHI Mission and Ministry grant to study violence and it complexities for citizens of all ages throughout the region. RaeAnn Mayer, project coordinator, invited the public, concerned agencies and student populations throughout the county to take a candid look at the various levels of violent behaviors as a key public health issue. Further research examined demographics and background information.

Mayer's team also looked at successful programs that already exist in the area including programs sponsored through St. Joseph's as well as services offered through schools, churches, government agencies and more.

Given findings discovered during the planning stages, the Violence Prevention Implementation program will gear its efforts to youth and work to"decrease aggression experienced by youth in Hubbard County and decrease their risk factors by increasing their resiliency," says Mayer.

Three primary areas of focus of the Violence Prevention Implementation program will include mentoring, fatherhood and family resources, Mayer adds.

Work has already begun in working collaboratively with Kinship of Park Rapids to increase recruitment of volunteer mentors and positive role models. St. Joseph's is also in the process of hiring a parent educator as a support mechanism for area dads.

The Violence Prevention Implementation program will serve residents in St. Joseph's service region and also contribute to CHI's systemwide initiative to prevent violence in every community the health care system serves.

Established in 1996 by the health system's founding congregations, the Mission and Ministry Fund has awarded 273 grants totaling more than $33 million to programs across the globe. The fund was established through contributions from CHI's facilities across the nation, including St. Joseph's.

"We have made violence prevention ­ including domestic violence, child and elder abuse, gun violence and school violence ­ a systemwide priority," said Kevin Lofton, CHI President/CEO.