Interrupting Community Violence: A panel discussion with Gabrielle Giffords
By Crown Family School
Orientation at the Crown Family School kicked off with an action-packed schedule of events and workshops designed to immerse new students in their academic and community journey. Among the highlights was a thought-provoking discussion on the pressing issue of interrupting community violence, with a panel of experts featuring former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
The panel offered students a deeper understanding of the complex challenges facing social workers today. Community violence, in particular gun violence, is one of several pressing social challenges social work and social sector leadership students may eventually have crucial roles in addressing, interrupting and preventing in their careers.
The discussion panelists were individuals involved at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of community violence prevention and advocacy. At the macro level they discussed supporting large-scale systemic change by impacting policy, at the mezzo level they discussed providing support through programming and intervention initiatives for families, specific groups, and local communities, and at the micro level they discussed providing direct personal support to individuals and their families.
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords discussed the impact gun violence has had on her life and the violent shooting incident that led her to start Giffords, an organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence.
Also, on the panel was Juan Carter, Outreach Manager at the Giffords Center for Violence Intervention, Deborah Gorman-Smith, Dean and Emily Klein Gidwitz, Professor, and Carlos Robles, AM ‘16, Manager, Violence Recovery Program at UChicago Medicine.
Photo Credit: Beto DeFreitas
During the discussion moderated by Adrian Talbott, Associate Dean for Civic Engagement at the Crown Family School, Ms. Giffords shared that on January 8, 2011, while serving as a congresswoman in Arizona she was shot in the head while meeting with constituents. She shared that in the aftermath, she could not walk or talk, and had to learn how to do basic everyday functions all over again.
“I have watched gun violence ruin too many lives. After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I said ‘enough is enough,’ and I founded a group called Giffords,” she said. “We are on a mission to end gun violence.”
Giffords’ mission is to end the gun violence crisis in the United States by impacting policy and laws, mobilizing voters and educating lawmakers. The organization advocates by influencing lawmakers and educating communities, said Juan Carter, outreach manager at Giffords Center for Violence Intervention.
“Giffords has dedicated staff that works on and around policy and advocating in various states across the country, but it goes beyond writing policy it is also holding policymakers and political leaders accountable when we talk about gun violence here in America,” Carter said.
Panel Discussion Highlights
(Left to Right): Juan Carter, Giffords Center; Gabrielle Giffords; Carlos Robles, AM '16; Deborah Gorman-Smith, Dean of Crown Family School; Adrian Talbott, Associate Dean of Civic Engagement.
(Left to Right): Carlos Robles, AM '16; Deborah Gorman-Smith, Dean of Crown Family School; Adrian Talbott, Associate Dean of Civic Engagement.
Acknowledgments were given to Franklin Cosey Gay, PhD, Violence Recovery Director- UChicago Medicine, by Dean Gorman Smith for collaborative work done for Violence Prevention and Recovery Work.
Dean Gorman-Smith explained to the largely student audience that by being at the Crown Family School they are in a unique position to lead in the space around addressing pressing social challenges, but particularly in reducing gun violence.
“Research and science should guide policy and practice,” Gorman-Smith said. “It is not enough to do things that are good ideas, many practices and policies have been found to have little impact on the problems they seek to solve. So, it is important that research guides what we do,” she said.
And as the discussion covered mezzo and macro levels of advocacy used to influence policy and conduct research to develop prevention, intervention, and post-incident support, Carlos Robles offered insight on his role at the micro level as a frontline worker where he interacts directly with individuals impacted by violence. Robles shared how important it is to show compassion and patience while maintaining people’s dignity after going through a traumatic experience. He shared his personal mission as he works to promote healing within affected communities.
“I always remember – everything I do matters when it comes to survivors of gun violence. Making sure families are welcomed in our space and not shunned, making sure people are treated the same way whether they are cancer patients or gun violence patients – it doesn’t matter,” Robles said. “I believe quality healthcare is a human right and that starts at the individual level and I never forget that,” he said.
As the discussion wrapped Giffords shared with the audience that her recovery has taken years, but she was helped by many people.
“I’ve learned that when people care for each other and work together progress is possible, a better world is possible. But change doesn’t happen overnight. We can’t do it alone, join me – let’s move ahead together,” Giffords said.