Survivors aren’t alone: Family support inside a hospital

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When a survivor of gun violence arrives at the local trauma hospital, they need support that goes beyond just medical treatment. In this comic strip, we meet Paul from the Violence Intervention & Prevention Program that offers survivors and their families bedside support and immediate assistance with basic needs. 

A comic strip panel of Paul, a violence intervention specialist at Harborview Medical Center. He has a beard, glasses, and a bald head. He explains that he meets bedside with survivors of gun violence and their families. His team provides peer support, advocacy, and connection to resources. A taller, bearded man and a doctor in a white coat stand behind him, conferring.
Paul explains that everyone needs people who can relate to them and support their recovery. He sits next to Trent, a young person lying in a hospital bed with an IV, his head turned away. Paul lets Trent know that he's been where Trent is and is there to help.
Trent, a young person, lies in a hospital bed. A younger sibling and his mom stand next to the bed and the sibling asks if he's going to be ok. The narration notes that violence doesn't affect just one person. It affects families and entire communities.
Paul talks to Trent's mom outside the hospital room. He tells her that he understands that this is incredibly difficult and offers to help with any immediate needs. Trent's mom says she has to go back to work, even though Trent still needs help. She's also worried about her young son when she's not at home.
Paul plays Connect 4 with Trent, who sits up in the hospital bed. Paul narrates that building rapport takes time, and that it's about listening more than talking.
A close up of Trent and Paul playing Connect 4. The narration from Paul continues with the importance of showing survivors that they're not alone.
Paul narrates that some days are heavy, but every day matters. He pushes Trent in a wheelchair down a hospital hallway and asks if Trent has given more thought to support services. Trent says he thinks he could give it a try, but he looks skeptical.
Paul is conferring with his team, telling them that Trent seems to be ready to connect to an outreach worker. He asks the man sitting next to him if he can get Trent's brother into afterschool programming. The man says he'll get a referral started.
Trent's mother stands with her arm around her younger son who is playing a Nintendo Switch. Paul hands her a paper and says that it's a voucher to cover food and gas. He tells her that a community organization will be in touch soon about services, and that they want to make sure the family is safe and has emotional support.
It's one month later and Paul is waving to Trent in a physical therapy studio, where Trent is walking supported by two bars and a therapist. Paul asks Trent how he's doing. Trent is smiling and tells him he met the outreach worker and that it was cool that he already knew him.
Trent, on crutches, expresses appreciation for Paul's support. He says he's starting to feel like himslef again. Paul, smiling, pats his back and says, "I got you. Talk to you next week."

Thank you to Paul for sharing his story. Comic written by Ariana Donaville and illustrated by Meredith Li-Vollmer.

Support for survivors at Harborview Medical Center and in the community

The Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention partners with Harborview Medical Center to deliver a violence prevention and intervention program and victim support services within the hospital. Harborview Medical Center’s Violence Intervention & Prevention Program (VIPP) team provides extensive bedside support and helps meet immediate basic needs for patients with firearm injuries and their families.

This program is unique because it links to community organizations like those in the Regional Peacekeepers Collective. They refer eligible young people ages 12-24 to follow-up care and support services in their communities. Services are currently provided in Burien, Kent, Federal Way, Renton, and the unincorporated King County areas of Skyway and White Center.

If a patient passes away in the hospital due to firearm injuries, the VIPP team provides support to the patient’s loved ones. After the medical examiner and law enforcement complete their processes, the VIPP team offers bereavement calls and supports the families’ immediate needs. They also refer loved ones to the trauma center for mental health counseling and support. Additionally, social workers in the hospital collaborate with case managers at the Office of Crime Victims Assistance to complete the necessary paperwork and expedite payments to cover the family’s funeral costs.
 
For more information about the Harborview Medical Center Violence Intervention & Prevention Program, visit https://depts.washington.edu/vipp/