Indigenous-led organization to serve as CVI co-lead per $6.4M City grant
Chicago, March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the recently proposed State budget and the City’s set goal of under 500 shootings this year, Acclivus Inc., a pioneering community health organization proficient in community violence intervention (CVI), marks its seventh anniversary of transformative work in hospital response, street outreach, behavioral health, technical training, workforce development, and partner initiatives. Viewing violence through a public health lens, Acclivus is the largest local, black-led CVI organization — made possible through collaborations with community residents, stakeholders and influencers — to transform high-risk neighborhoods by providing free resources to victims, survivors, and their families.
The backbone of Acclivus is its response to violence victims which is done in partnership with six local hospitals – Holy Cross, Insight, Mount Sinai, Northwestern Memorial, St. Bernard and John H. Stroger of Cook County. During the often chaotic moments immediately following a violent situation when victims and their loved ones arrive at the hospital, Acclivus’ responders and case managers are onsite to de-escalate the situation, provide advocacy, and act as a resource to prevent further violence and reduce the impact of trauma.
“We have the life and professional experiences to earn the trust of victims, their families and the hospital staff,” said LeVon Stone, Sr., president and CEO of Acclivus. “I got my CVI start in hospital response work – serving as hospital responder, case manager, and director of all Illinois programs for CeaseFire; so, I understand how critically unique this emotional and social support is for all involved in the violence journey.”
Stone is a testament to the importance of lived experiences in successful violence prevention: he is a gunshot survivor, justice-impacted individual who earned two college degrees during challenging times. This relatability is key in positively influencing youth – particularly, black youth – from Acclivus’ nine street outreach communities: Altgeld Gardens, Douglas, Fuller Park, Grand Boulevard, Greater Grand Crossing, Harvey, Washington Heights, Washington Park and West Pullman.
The organization’s dedication to violence prevention extends beyond monitoring neighborhood hotspots and extends to vital efforts the CVI industry hasn’t tried consistently or intentionally: looking to and working with the community to lead violence prevention work with an understanding that it will take time to arrive at the right/best/most impactful answers.
Over the years, Acclivus has significantly expanded its impact and resources to include technical training, workforce development, youth mentoring, and program initiatives such as Peacekeepers with key partners; and has grown its annual budget from $1 million (seeded from the Michael Reese Health Trust Foundation) to over $25 million. But, its deep immersion in the work has prevented Acclivus from taking time to celebrate its remarkable achievements – most notably, the mediation of 1,200+ conflicts in the second half of 2024 – making a profound difference in the lives of countless individuals and families.
Additional Acclivus highlights include:
- Recipient of three “first-time” grants – a $6.4M grant from the City of Chicago to serve as CVI co-lead in near-south and far-south neighborhoods; $500K from the Chicago Department of Public Health’s first ever hospital response/violence prevention grant; and $800K from the Cook County Department of Public Health for behavioral health services.
- Hospital Response – Acclivus has provided immediate support to more than 12,000 victims of violence in hospital settings, helping to reduce retaliation and further incidents of violence.
- Behavioral Health Services – More than 150 clients, program participants and staff have received mental health support – including individual and group counseling – aiding in their recovery and reducing the likelihood of future violence.
- Violence Prevention Professional Training – In 2024, Acclivus provided twenty-two 40-hour trainings – covering street outreach, case management and victim advocacy core competencies – for more than 100 participants.
Acclivus is also committed to empowering other community organizations led by indigenous CEOs. By providing funding support and resources, Acclivus has helped 42 organizations build capacity and enhance their impact. This collaborative approach ensures that diverse voices and experiences are represented at the highest levels of leadership, fostering more inclusive and effective CVI efforts.
In addition to the grant funding from the City of Chicago and Cook County, Acclivus’ innovative approach and significant impact have garnered support from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), Illinois Department of Human Services, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and the University of Illinois at Chicago Social Work Policy Center.
“We are humble yet incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made and the lives we’ve enhanced over the years,” said Stone. “Our success is a testament to the power of a public health approach to violence prevention; a dedicated team; growing support from the state, county and city; and our ability to sustain severe budget cuts to attempt to keep smaller organizations afloat. We appeal to leaders to continue making investments in organizations, programs and initiatives that make a real difference in creating safer, healthier communities.”
Acclivus (ac·cli·vus) is a community health organization that looks at violence through a public health lens by offering several free services and resources designed to prevent, de-escalate and mitigate violence. Founded in 2010 and reactivated in 2018, Acclivus provides hospital response, street outreach, behavioral health, technical training, workforce development and mentoring assistance, as well as partner initiatives to build safe, healthy, economically-thriving communities. For more information, visit www.acclivusinc.org, call 312-766-7145, or follow @acclivusinc on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter and LinkedIn.
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CONTACT: Katrina Waddy Acclivus, Inc. 3125457392 katrina.waddy@acclivusinc.org
