Most of the teens are referred to the program by Mercer County Family Court or the Juvenile Probation Unit
TRENTON -- Street violence is all too familiar in Trenton with scores of people ending up in the hospital because of gunshot wounds, stabbings and violent struggles.
But in a new initiative aimed at curbing violence, Capital Health is partnering with PEI Kids, a nonprofit that runs a program focused on young people who are on the cusp or at risk of becoming more involved with crime.
PEI Kids' Comprehensive Juvenile Offenders Outreach Services is a 15-week program, but for three of the sessions, the teenagers will sit down with doctors, social workers, EMTs and nursing staff to discuss topics from risk-taking behavior and nonviolent resolution to health and well-being and different healthcare professions.
PEI Kids helps to straighten out young lives through support, talking
Most of the teens, ranging in age from 12 to 17, are referred to the program by Mercer County Family Court or the Juvenile Probation Unit.
PEI Kids executive director Roz Dashiell said she hopes the conversations will help them better understand the repercussions and think twice before acting.
"We really want them to see the bigger picture," PEI Kids executive director Roz Dashiell said. "Families are involved. Communities are involved. There's a ripple effect beyond the perpetrator and victim."
Dr. Steven Johnson, an acute care surgeon at Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell, said he jumped at the opportunity to join the initiative after working on similar programs in Baltimore and Delaware.
"It was easy to surround myself with the same mission -- to not only try to save lives but to try to help prevent some of these things," he said.
He said that too often, young people resort to violence, not words, to resolve conflicts.
"It has become a very difficult problem to solve and it can't be something that we only address when a patient comes into the hospital," he said.
Johnson will help lead a session focused on the impact of violence on the victim, family and community, taking them through a scenario from when they are admitted to the hospital through their recovery and what follows.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.
