1:00 PM Eastern
A research talk with Dr. Joseph Richardson and Mr. Che Bullock.
This talk will feature the collaborative research of Dr. Joseph Richardson and Che Bullock. The presentation will examine the social context of structural violence, community violence, and trauma in the District of Columbia and will draw on their work in the Capital Region Violence Intervention Program, a hospital-based violence intervention program at the University of Maryland Capital Region Health Medical Center.
Dr. Joseph Richardson and Che Bullock will discuss their use of community-engaged research methods, including longitudinal qualitative research approaches, to evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of community violence intervention (CVI) programs in the district. They will also discuss using digital storytelling as a tool for communicating about gun violence, as illustrated in their award-winning documentary feature, Life After the Gunshot, which shares the experiences of 10 young Black men with gun violence and mass incarceration.
The talk will include introductory remarks on the importance of this research for the field and for Vera’s Redefining Public Safety initiative along with a presentation and 30 minutes of facilitated audience Q&A.
Dr. Joseph Richardson is the MPower professor of African-American studies, medical anthropology, and epidemiology at the University of Maryland. Dr. Richardson’s research centers on gun violence, structural violence, violent firearm injury, mental health, qualitative methods, translational science, and violence prevention/interventions for Black boys and young Black men. He is the founding director of the Capital Region Violence Intervention Program, a hospital-based violence intervention program at the University of Maryland Capital Region Health Medical Center. He is a Health Alliance for Violence Intervention faculty member and currently serves as the lead epidemiologist for the Violence Intervention Research Project, a hospital-based violence intervention program research project at the University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Dr. Richardson is the founding co-director of the PROGRESS Initiative (Prevent Gun Violence: Research, Empowerment, Strategies and Solutions) at the University of Maryland. Through funding support from Arnold Ventures, Dr. Richardson is leading a longitudinal qualitative research evaluation of CVI street outreach programs in the District of Columbia. Dr. Richardson is the co-chair of the District of Columbia Violence Fatality Review Committee under the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. He is the executive producer and director of the award-winning documentary feature Life After the Gunshot. Dr. Richardson uses digital storytelling as an innovative methodological approach to health communication and narrative change. He was recently elected as a member of the National Academy of Medicine class of 2023.
Che Bullock is the co-owner of Change Agents, LLC, which specializes in trauma-informed care, peer support, and hospital-based violence intervention programs. Che pursued a four-year internship (2013-2017), which included data research for the Department of African American Studies at the University of Maryland, where he has also guest lectured classes. He also partnered with Dr. Joseph Richardson and Dr. Christopher St. Vil, (professors in the Department of African-American Studies at the University of Maryland at College Park) to reduce violence among young Black men in Prince George’s County through violence prevention/intervention programming, outreach, and research. Che was a violence intervention specialist/credible messenger for the Prince George’s Hospital Capital Region Violence Intervention Program, where he served to bridge the gap between the urban community and corporate world by engaging clients in clinical counseling and job placement.
Speakers
-
Dr. Joseph Richardson
MPower Professor of African-American Studies, Medical Anthropology, and Epidemiology, University of Maryland -
Che Bullock
Co-owner, Change Agents LLC