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Bridging the Gap
Bridging the Gap is a new, combined hospital-community youth violence prevention program to reduce the risk of re-injury of Richmond-area youths, ages 10 to 24, hospitalized for violence-related injuries including gunshot wounds, stab wounds and assault injuries. 
The program takes a leadership role in reducing Richmond-area crime, gang activities and intentional injuries by partnering with the Office of the Attorney General’s Gang Reduction and Intervention Program and other community organizations.
The program grew from the concerns of physicians and nurses at VCU Medical Center and is a collaborative effort between four hospital departments — the Department of Surgery’s Division of Trauma Injury and Violence Prevention, the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Care Coordination.
Bridging the Gap provides a six-step, hospital-based, psycho-educational intervention designed to help hospitalized youths consider alternative, nonviolent strategies for conflict resolution, develop safety plans and make more constructive life choices. Post discharge, intensive youth and family case management services are provided by the VCU Medical Center’s violence prevention coordinator, in partnership with community organizations, for six months to provide pro-social opportunities, positive role models and family and community support to break the cycle of violence.
Get involved
To support this program or get involved as a volunteer, contact Michel Aboutanos, M.D. at mbaboutanos@vcu.edu or Anne Jordan at jordana2@vcu.edu.