Illinois Violence Prevention Task Force meets
Creating
alternatives to violence
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[December 20, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois
Department of Public Health Director LaMar Hasbrouck, who chairs the
Illinois Violence Prevention Task Force, recently convened the first
meeting of the task force. In August, Gov. Pat Quinn signed
legislation creating the six-member task force to stem the epidemic
of violence affecting today's youth.
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"Violence is something that impacts all of us, and it will take all
of us working together to prevent it," said Quinn. "This task force
will provide a fresh perspective and pursue new strategies that can
help end the violence epidemic."The legislation was sponsored by
state Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, and state Sen. Mattie Hunter,
D-Chicago.
"I am deeply concerned about the senseless violence in Illinois,
where homicide among people aged 15–24 years accounts for more
deaths than from cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, birth
defects, influenza and pneumonia combined," said Dr. Hasbrouck. "All
totaled, nearly 1,000 young people die every three years here in
Illinois. We must work to develop peaceful and productive
alternatives to violence."
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Task force duties include preventing violence by raising
awareness of job opportunities for at-risk youth, assisting
religious and community groups and organizations whose mission is to
curb violence, and coordinating with mental health providers to
assure that they are present in communities that need them.
"I believe in the public health approach to violence, which sees
violence as being preventable, not inevitable," said Hasbrouck.
"Gov. Quinn has appointed me to chair this task force to carry out
his vision of curbing violence and stopping it before it starts.
Preventing violence is not solely a punitive approach. The task
force will be working on comprehensive approaches to prevent
violence, starting with developing a blueprint for action."
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To learn more about violence prevention, you can find Dr.
Hasbrouck's address at the City Club of Chicago at
http://vimeo.com/81557566.
One key element included in that blueprint will be developing
partnerships in communities across the state to prevent violence.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is working to expand and
cultivate its public and private partnerships to advance public
health in the state, one of the priorities in the Illinois
Department of Public Health Five Year Strategy 2014-2018. For a copy
of the strategic plan, go to:
http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/
StrategicPlan_Final_2014-2018.pdf.
[Text from
Illinois Department of Public
Health file received from the
Illinois Office of Communication and Information]
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