Alongside Pathway to New Beginnings, over the last two years I have also directed a program for 15–19-year-olds called the Nehemiah Program. The program, a partnership with Hennepin County Juvenile Probation, is currently being renegotiated and Urban Venture’s partnership with Hennepin County Juvenile Probation will continue in the near future.
Participants came to the Nehemiah program from juvenile probation. The program was designed for young men who are charged with carrying guns without a permit and those whose crimes are a result of a traumatic experiences. The goal of the Nehemiah Program was to help the young men manage anger, to learn ways to regulate emotions, and to understand and identify how trauma causes disruption in their worldview.
Trauma affects the brain. When we talk about looking at gun violence as a public health crisis, this isn’t an excuse, but so much of it is happening by and to young people who have been traumatized from the womb. This is a mental health crisis as well. We need families to be part of the healing process, so we bring them in. We find out what their needs are so we can provide mental health resources. This starts in the home. Often parents are very young when they have children. Their children are raising themselves. Their brains are young and traumatized.
In my time working to end gun violence, I’ve learned that the solution is not going to come from one place in our community. We need everybody. Every organization needs to come together to solve this issue.