Nebraska Medicine introduces new program aimed to help change cycle of violence in the community - WOWT

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OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Omaha-metro emergency rooms are used to seeing gunshot and stabbing victims. Many are involved in a violent lifestyle.

But what our hospital systems aren’t used to doing is following a patient’s journey after they leave. Nebraska Medicine is working to change that.

Bedside by victims of violent crime, that’s where you’ll usually find Alberto Gonzales. He’s not a family member or a friend.

As a former gang prevention specialist, he knows all too well about violence on the streets of Omaha.

“To come in here and see these young men coming in shot is a different story,” said Alberto Gonzales, ENCOMPASS program.

Gonzales is now one of Nebraska Medicine’s newest employees.

“I finally got on full-time a couple of weeks ago. For the last year, I’ve been dealing strictly with victims who come in who have been shot or stabbed and my role is to find out what their needs are.”

He’s part of a brand new project called ENCOMPASS Omaha. It’s a hospital-based violence intervention program.

A dream turned into reality from a trauma doctor and a former ER nurse at Nebraska Medicine.

“Doing what we do best is patch them up and get them medically treated and send them back into the community and there’s a big gap there. And the gap is these individuals need long-term case management and that’s the goal of the program is to carry them and to provide wrap-around services,” said Ashley Farrens, Violence Intervention Program Supervisor.

Which will now start here inside the hospital. After patients are cared for, counselors will come into their rooms to talk about the trauma they experienced from violence.

“There is nothing like this program in Omaha or Nebraska, for that matter. This is a very unique program and we are getting to them in a very fragile moment in their life and a very important moment in their life,” said Melissa Inzaro, Nebraska Medicine Social Worker.

The ENCOMPASS team gives victims resources they need to get out of a violent lifestyle, like providing rent assistance, a possible relocation, or even a job.

“We do social services and mental health. So we look at do you have housing and food security? Do you need help getting advanced education whether it’s a high school diploma, GED or maybe getting into the trades,” said Inzaro.

It goes even beyond that. From day-to-day activities to life at home, the team closely shadows each patient to make sure they stay on the right path.

Something an expert in gang violence like Gonzales says is invaluable.

“Umpteen years ago when I was working with kids that were getting shot, I would come here, they would get stitched up, fixed up, given their meds and sent home. There was nobody there to do any follow-up with these young adults. And with ENCOMPASS we tend to follow these folks and let them know that we care. And sometimes they don’t want the help.”

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