UAMS Project Heal

UAMS Project Heal is a hospital-based violence intervention program designed to address violent assault injury, primarily focusing on gun assault, among high-risk populations in Little Rock. Public health scientists recognize that many social factors influence community violence, especially among high-risk minority communities that are challenged with low income and education; high levels of unemployment; discrimination and racism; persistent trauma; hostile street cultures; and limited health and social resources.

These factors greatly contribute to the cycle of violence and influx of violent assault injuries in hospitals across the country, including UAMS.

As the first hospital-based violence intervention program in Arkansas, Project Heal aims to help break the cycle of violence and facilitate healing for those disproportionately impacted by violence. Hospital-based violence intervention programs are highly promising strategies for addressing community violence since these programs use a trauma-informed approach to ensure patients safety, psychological and social wellbeing. The hospital-based violence intervention program model is designed to:

• Assess patients’ needs at bedside
• Provide and/or connect patients to mental health care and support (i.e., counseling/therapy, substance use treatment, peer support groups)
• Connect patients to necessary social services (i.e., housing, transportation, job training, legal aid, victim services, etc.)
• Provide essential peer support and intensive case management (i.e., consistent and frequent patient engagement post discharge, assistance navigating follow-up care and services, and connection to community resources)

This model has been proven to reduce crime and re-injury and increase service utilization and cost savings. Project Heal hopes to further these long-term outcomes by reducing post-traumatic stress and depressive symptoms; drug use; and street culture recidivism in the years to come.

What to Expect If You Participate?

This program will help you:

1. Explore what kind of help you may need as you heal
2. Get mental health care support such as:
   • Counseling and therapy
   • Drug or alcohol treatment
   • Support groups to learn from and help others like you
3. Get connected to services that will help you with things like:
   • Housing
   • Getting from place to place
   • Job searches and job training
   • Legal aid
   • Money management
   • Food assistance
   • And more!

Who Is Eligible to Participate?

To enroll, you must: 

• Be at least 18 to 44 years of age
• Live in Little Rock, Arkansas
• Currently being treated or recently discharged at UAMS for a violent assault injury (gunshot, stabbing, or another penetrating wound)
• Meet additional qualifying risk factors as outlined by the City of Little Rock

Do I Have to Pay for This Program?

No, you do not need to pay to be a part of Project Heal. However, there may be fees associated with services provided by our community partners. We will try our best to accommodate participants on a case-by-case basis.

For more information about the program, please contact Taylor Washington, research program manager.

Phone: (501) 526-1865

Email: ProjectHeal@uams.edu

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Live outside of Little Rock? Check out Project Heal Rural Arkansas.

This program is funded by the City of Little Rock and the UAMS Division of Research and Innovation.

Efforts are also supported by the UAMS Chancellor Circle Award; the UAMS Translational Research Institute, grants UL1 TR003107 & KL2 TR003108; and the NIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, grant U54 MD002329.