Violence touches all of us living in Indianapolis. Although criminal homicide rates stayed the same last year and non-fatal shootings dropped according to The Indianapolis Star, non-fatal gunshot violence still increased among juveniles. Survivors of such gunshot violence and victims of assaults and stabbings will suffer repercussions beyond physical harm, as will their families, friends and community.
Addressing the aftermath of an injury caused by violence, whether that violence was intentional or accidental, is a crucial stage in recovery. Eskenazi Health Prescription for Hope steps in when emergency care stops. The longest running of the program’s three arms provides patient support and advocacy. Prescription for Hope connects patients injured by assaults, gunshots or stabbings to financial, mental health, educational and employment resources.
Team members discuss resources with patients and their families during their inpatient stay. Victims of these injuries who are Marion County residents can join the program then or months afterward, whether they received their care through Eskenazi Health or not.
After their inpatient stay ends, patients can continue to make use of program resources based on goals they set with the Prescription for Hope team. For example, an individual whose injury requires a job change can be connected to training or new employers. Other program participants may want assistance with completing their education. Mental and emotional health are important areas of focus for the program as well. A trauma therapist is available for individual therapy or support groups when suggested by the staff or requested by the client. While some participants remain in Prescription for Hope for a few months, others stay for more than a year.
For the youth arm of Prescription for Hope, team members partner with schools to identify students who may be at risk of either committing or being the victims of violence. The program collaborates with those schools to monitor the socioeconomic barriers that may be impacting students’ success and connects the students to resources that can help address those barriers.
H.O.P.E. Reentry, the newest program arm, focuses on assisting adults of color involved with the criminal justice system who are reentering the community. H.O.P.E. Reentry supports individuals with the challenges they face due to a criminal record and, as with other arms of Prescription for Hope, also helps connect them to educational and employment support and resources that assist with financial literacy and conflict resolution.
By helping at-risk youth, assisting survivors of violence and aiding those involved in the criminal justice system, Prescription for Hope helps lessen the effects of violence and helps reduce the likelihood of future occurrences.
When you are touched by violence, either as a victim yourself or through your connection to someone else, taking action can be healing. All of us can impact the violence in this community through small but crucial steps. One step you can take is to call Prescription for Hope at 317-880-3547.
Broderick Rhyant, M.D., chief physician executive with Eskenazi Health Center Grande
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