Supporting Male Survivors of Violence: Best Practices for Supporting Frontline Violence Intervention Workers

Adrian Sanchez (The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention) and Kevin Stewart, MS (Cure Violence)

A key component of violence intervention programs are the frontline workers. Frontline workers are often credible members from the communities they serve and they provide an important bridge between violence-impacted individuals and organizations. Their credibility stems from the respect they have earned in the community, the connections they have developed, and the fact that they often have similar life experiences to the individuals they work with. The use of trained credible staff is a central tenet of public health practices, as these individuals are most likely to influence change within difficult-to-reach populations. Without support, these valuable frontline workers cannot do this work and do not stay in this career long term.