The Crisis Response Podcast: Recent Episodes
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The Crisis Response Podcast puts the spotlight on regular folks who are tackling major problems and transforming how communities watch out for each other. Each episode features individuals and organizations who are pioneering crisis response systems of all sizes at all levels.
For much of the world, there's no reliable way to call for help in an emergency. In Mwanza, Tanzania, local doctor Marko Hingi decided that wasn't acceptable. Working with local motorcycle taxi drivers, Dr. Hingi built an emergency medical system from scratch, and in this episode he shares exactly how he did it.
To learn more or get in contact with Dr. Hingi and the Tanzania Rural Health Movement (TRHM), visit their website.
Follow Tanzania Rural Health Movement:
Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn
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Show Contents
- Background to the Tanzania Rural Health Movement (00:20)
- Building an Emergency Response System From Scratch (04:05)
- Training Emergency Motorcycle Responders (08:16)
- Branding and Marketing the Services and Motorcycle Responders (16:20)
- Building Infrastructure with Response Times as the Main Goal (20:15)
- What Happens When a Motorcycle Won’t Work for Transport (24:30)
- Goals and Challenges in the Future (28:55)
- How to Connect with TRHM (33:55)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
When disasters hit, people want to help, and one of the best ways to do so is by donating money directly to disaster response organizations that are serving on the front lines. But as online fundraising becomes easier, scam artists are also getting more savvy, and people who want to support response efforts are increasingly suspicious, asking important questions like, "How can I be sure the money is being used the right way?" and "How do I even know whether this organization is really helping?"
In this episode, we interview Michael Thatcher, CEO of Charity Navigator, a US-based non-profit organization whose mission is to make philanthropic giving more transparent by providing the tools and resources to help donors at any economic level give more effectively. Michael discusses the current state of philanthropic giving for disaster response, with real-life examples from recent disasters, as well as some tips and tools to help you decide which organizations to support when disaster strikes.
Learn more about Charity Navigator by visiting their website.
Follow Charity Navigator: LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram
Follow Michael: LinkedIn |
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- Background on Charity Navigator (00:20)
- Example of How Charity Navigator Works (01:30)
- Trends in the Way People are Giving (04:10)
- Effects of Overfunding New Organizations (07:45)
- How the Rating System Works (10:50)
- Assessing Impact an Organization Has (16:35)
- Ways to Assess When They are not on Charity Navigator (20:25)
- Indirect vs Direct Expenses (25:10)
- Changes Michael has Seen and Trends for the Future (30:35)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
ComMed is a non-profit community-based emergency medical response service operating in Johannesburg, South Africa. ComMed's aim is to provide life-saving services to those in need, to those who do not have access to private services, to those who need an emergency medical intervention or to those who simply need support. In this episode, Neil Van Der Merwe discusses the unique role they fill in South Africa's EMS system, and how they fulfill their mission of "All Mission, Non-Profit".
To learn more about ComMed visit their website.
To get in touch directly you can email info@commed.org.za
Follow ComMed: Facebook | Instagram
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- Overview of ComMed's services (00:25)
- Intermediate vs Advanced Life Support in South Africa (04:00)
- Types of calls ComMed responds to (10:20)
- How ComMed reaches those in need (13:40)
- How ComMed managed a successful launch during Covid (16:40)
- Level and methods of training for volunteers (23:15)
- ComMed's mission, vision and values (27:15)
- Advice for those wanting to launch a similar service (30:45)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
Jeff Schlegelmilch is the Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University and the author of Rethinking Readiness: A Brief Guide to 21st Century Megadisasters. In this episode, Jeff discusses his latest book, the disasters that have the most potential for mass destruction, the relationship between NGOs and government agencies in disaster response, and much more.
The National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University works to understand and improve the nation’s capacity to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. NCDP focuses on the readiness of governmental and non-governmental systems; the complexities of population recovery; the power of community engagement; and the risks of human vulnerability, with a particular focus on children.
To purchase Jeff’s book, Rethinking Readiness, visit here.
To learn more about the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, visit here.
Follow NCDP: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
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- Background on Jeffrey and the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (00:00)
- Inspiration for his book, Rethinking Readiness (07:10)
- Releasing a book on disasters during a pandemic (09:25)
- Funding challenges and the downstream effects on communities (13:20)
- Why droughts stand out as a domestic threat (18:40)
- The problems with US water ownership laws (22:15)
- Different eras of disaster response and the four sectors that respond (25:35)
- Role of NGOs and their effect on governmental response (30:30)
- What’s next for NCDP and preparedness as an industry (44:00)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
Bob Jackson is the Founder and CEO of Roseland Ceasefire, an organization operating in the Chicagoland area whose mission is to develop and deploy proven violence mitigation techniques and actions to stop and/or reduce violence of all kinds in their community, with a particular emphasis on gang-related and interpersonal violence. Using education, social advocacy and philanthropy, Roseland works to improve overall community wellness.
Topics covered include the process of responding to a shooting, how Roseland Ceasefire recruits and trains their team members, how the 988 line impacts them, the direction of mental health services in Chicago and the US, and much more.
To learn more about Roseland Ceasefire and their mission, visit here.
Follow on: Facebook | Reddit | Twitter
Show Topics:
- What is Roseland Ceasefire and who do they serve (00:00)
- The process of getting called to a shooting (02:05)
- Relationship with the police departments (03:50)
- How Ceasefire recruits and trains their team members (05:00)
- Example case from call to conclusion (10:25)
- Deciding who on scene needs the intervention services (12:45)
- How Bob came to take on his role with Ceasefire (15:45)
- Changes Bob has seen in the community over his 18 years of service (17:00)
- Thoughts on 988 line and direction mental health services are headed (18:10)
- Metrics used to prove impact (19:50)
- Lessons learned that could help others just starting out (23:00)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
Building an emergency response system from scratch is a tall order, particularly in low- and middle-income countries with limted experience managing emergency medical services. In Bangladesh, however, TraumaLink is proving how volunteer-based roadside emergency response systems can both save lives and be sustainable in communities where no such service previously existed.
In this episode, Dr. Jon Moussally, founder and executive director of TraumaLink, discusses how the organization came to be, how their volunteer retention stays so high, how they win and keep community buy-in, and much more.
To learn more about TraumaLink and the work they are doing, visit their website.
Follow TraumaLink: Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Twitter
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Episode Contents
- How TraumaLink Started (00:00)
- Response systems in Bangladesh prior to TraumaLink (03:25)
- Recruiting partners and volunteers (04:40)
- Service delivery (07:20)
- Community outreach and messaging (08:50)
- Responder training (10:50)
- Responder incentives (15:15)
- Building relationships with local hospitals (18:45)
- Government response from Bangladesh (23:45)
- Training the police department and their response to the program (26:55)
- Types of data collecting and used to demonstrate impact (32:25)
- Plans for the future and the scaling of TraumaLink (36:30)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
When major disasters strike, organizations and volunteers from all around the world answer the call to respond. Empact Northwest is one of those organizations, with more than 30 disaster deployments over the past decade, including their current deployment to support earthquake relief efforts in Turkey. Born in 2010 after responding to the Haiti earthquake, Empact has been serving communities across the globe ever since - saving lives, and building upon their mission.
Today on the show, Executive Director of Empact Northwest, Jake Gillanders, shares insights on a range of topics, including Empact's current response in Turkey, how they decide where and when to deploy, the world of NGOs pre- and post-Haiti, why preparedness and partnerships are so important, and a whole lot more.
Empact Northwest is a non-profit, non-governmental entity providing rescue, medical, and logistical support to those affected by disaster worldwide; preparedness support to communities in need; and professional rescue training.
To donate rescue supplies to Empact’s mission, visit their Amazon list here.
To learn more about Empact Northwest, visit their website.
Want to apply to volunteer with Empact? Visit here!
Follow Empact: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
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Introduction (00:20)
Empact’s current deployment to Turkey (00:35)
Deciding where, and when, to go (01:50)
Type of personnel Empact staffs and deploys (03:40)
The immediate response to getting the call (05:30)
Inventory management for emergency response (07:25)
First decisions once on the ground (09:50)
Empact’s origins responding to the 2010 earthquakes in Haiti (12:45)
The revolution in the NGO community post-Haiti (19:30)
Why preparedness and partnerships are so important (22:10)
Future of Empact and evolving their mission (31:10)
Where to learn more and get involved (35:40)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
Every year, the opioid epidemic steals more than 100,000 lives, costs more than $1.3 trillion and causes immeasurable heartbreak across North America. However, making opioid overdoses a thing of the past is a mission Brave Co-op believes it can achieve.
Brave is a technology co-op that makes overdose detection tools that activate life-saving community response. Today on the podcast Jason speaks with the Founder and CEO of Brave, Gordon Casey. They discuss Brave’s mission, the products and services they offer, why having compassion for and working directly with people who use drugs (pwud) is so important, the reason Gordon was set on a Co-op vs traditional LLC or corporation, and so much more.
To learn more about Brave, visit their website here.
To get in touch with Gordon directly, email Gordon@brave.coop
Follow Brave: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
– – – – –
- What Brave does and how it got started (00:50)
- Developing tools through hands-on research in the field (04:30)
- Pushback received and how Brave responds (06:17)
- The FDA Challenge that started it all (10:31)
- Pivoting to a button based system for housing sites and winning the Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge (15:02)
- Expansion of Brave post-challenge win (21:31)
- Why a Co-op and the three types of members at Brave (26:13)
- Active programs and locations (33:00)
- The future for Brave and ideal partners(35:31)
- Working in Canada vs the US (39:51)
- Biggest lessons learned to pass on to new community response programs (45:04)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
As any parent knows, children often get sick at night. But if these routine illnesses are left untreated, they can often turn to acute conditions by morning. So what are parents supposed to do when all the pediatric clinics close at 5pm? In Haiti, the MotoMeds Pediatric Health Hotline is transforming how parents can get treatment for sick children in the middle of the night.
In this episode, Molly Klarman, the Project Director of MotoMeds Healthline in Haiti shares about what MotoMeds does, who they serve, how they recruit their drivers and nurses, dealing with risk, building community awareness and government buy-in, and much more!
To learn more about MotoMeds, visit their website here.
To get in touch with Molly directly, email mklarman@ufl.edu
Follow MotoMeds: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Show Topics
- What is MotoMeds (01:05)
- Haiti and the communities MotoMeds is serving (04:30)
- Recruiting the drivers (06:20)
- Driver compensation (08:00)
- Recruiting the nurses (09:55)
- Dealing with risk concerns from the drivers and nurses (11:40)
- Promotion and building community awareness (13:25)
- Operating during political upheaval and natural disasters (18:20)
- Launching a second location and the new challenges it presented (22:50)
- Working with the Haitian government (27:40)
- Future aspirations for MotoMeds (29:25)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
Emergency 9-1-1 communicators serve as a crucial link between the public and first responders during emergencies. But what if the person calling 9-1-1 is deaf or hard of hearing? As the child of two deaf parents, Gabriella Wong learned how difficult it can be for persons with disabilities to find emergency assistance when her deaf father nearly lost his life because he couldn't communicate with 9-1-1.
In today’s episode, Gabriella shares more about that experience, the gap in services that exist for the deaf and hard of hearing community, and how she built the AccesSOS platform to overcome these challenges.
To learn more about AccesSOS visit their website.
To inquire about working together, fill out a partnership form here.
To get in touch with Gabby directly, email gabriella@accessos.io
Follow AccesSOS on: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
AccesSOS and their mission (01:00)
The need for 911 services in the deaf and hard of hearing community (01:53)
Gabriella’s decision to take action and solve the problem (04:55)
Legacy companies services offered prior to AccesSos (06:22)
Going from problem recognition to we are going to build it (07:50)
Time between idea, writing code, and final product (13:58)
AccesSOS app launch (15:20)
Why New Mexico and specifically Santa Fe as the starting point (19:27)
Balancing learning in one location with wanting to expand to more locations (23:04)
AccesSOS ability to offer proof of concept that can help shape policy and advocacy (25:56)
The impact of the 988 rollout (28:20)
Types of funding that AccesSOS has received (31:30)
What does a partnership with AccesSOS look like and how would someone get in contact (34:42)
Immediate goals for 2023 (38:27)
Advice for those wanting to create a service for at risk communities or those trying to solve problems through technology? (43:07)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
When it comes to domestic violence cases, law enforcement officers are trained to secure the scene, arrest perpetrators and keep families safe. But what they're not trained to do is provide social services to the survivors. In Las Vegas, the Metropolitan Police Department teamed up with SafeNest to close that loop -- and their partnership is showing exceptional success.
In this episode, SafeNest's CEO, Liz Ortenburger, talks about SafeNest's pioneering crisis response program and shares more on how SafeNest got its start, how the crisis response program works, the metrics they use to prove their success, how they deal with safety concerns, and much more.
To learn more about SafeNest and the services they offer, visit their website.
Follow SafeNest: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
EPISODE CHAPTERS
SafeNest’s mission and services they deliver (01:20)
How SafeNest got started and growth it has experienced (04:40)
Addressing safety concerns for social workers responding to crisis scenes (12:15)
Step by step process of a domestic violence response (19:15)
Staff vs Volunteers at SafeNest and the training both receive (26:25)
Response time and other metrics being collected (35:30)
Money talks: using financial breakdowns to prove the need for programs (42:10)
Plans for future scaling of SafeNest (47:00)
Recommendations for groups starting out doing similar style work (54:05)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
For much of the past two decades the US has been battling an “opioid epidemic”. Yet despite the near constant headlines, and the billions of dollars in government funding, fatal opioid overdoses continue to increase. Progress is so slow in coming, it makes one wonder if the government or communities are really doing anything about it – and if they are, why isn’t anything working?
In Hartford, Connecticut, street outreach workers with the Connecticut Harm Reduction Alliance (CTHRA) respond to opioid overdoses alongside police, fire and EMS. In this episode, Mark Jenkins, CTHRA Founder and Executive Director, talks about CTHRA's work on the frontlines preventing fatal overdoses and much more.
To learn more about Connecticut Harm Reduction Alliance visit their website here.
Follow CTHRA on: Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn
EPISODE CHAPTERS:
CTHRA's mission, goals, and objectives (00:30)
How CTHRA was founded (05:16)
First steps Mark took to start his own effort (07:39)
Why bare bones syringe exchange street outreach was the original service Mark focused on (09:55)
A day in the life of a street outreach team (21:07)
A day in the life of the mobile response team (23:08)
How CTHRA’s overdose response system works (36:23)
On-scene dynamics with 911 responders (40:39)
Security concerns of first responders (45:02)
Fentanyl misinformation (49:52)
How can we reduce fentanyl related deaths? (54:45)
Responding to critics (59:27)
The immediate goals for CTHRA (01:03:11)
Guiding principles that have worked for Mark while doing this work. (01:07:12)
Support the show
HOST
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Theme song: "Happy Feliz" by ¡Big Grande! (used with permission).
In this episode, we sit down with Devin Brooks, Program Manager of Crisis Response at Twilio.org to discuss:
- How you’ve likely interacted with Twilio’s software but just didn’t know it
- How Twilio.org came to be
- When the Crisis Response team was put together and where their focuses are
- Some examples of Twilio’s software aiding recent crises efforts during Covid and the ongoing war in Ukraine
- How a single person can impact thousands with a little help from technology and so much more!
To learn more about Twilio.org visit their website.
Have a project you’d like to work with Twilio.org on? Talk to a Twilio team member here.
The Twilio Code Exchange program Devin referenced can be found here.
Follow Twilio: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter
– – – – –
Introducing Devin and Twilio.org (01:15)
Twilio’s Crisis Response team, what it is, how it began, and what it works on today (04:25)
Original five categories Twilio’s Crisis Response team started off using and how those have evolved (07:40)
Examples of Humanitarian Crises that Twilio has played a role in responding to in recent years including Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine (10:10)
Handling regulatory matters country to country when working on a global scale (15:30)
Types of Crises Twilio is best suited to respond to (18:15)
Involvement and integration with the 988 line rollout (22:35)
A group wants to set up a hotline - how do they get in touch with Twilio to help? (27:00)
Managing costs for clients on a tight budget and balancing the desire for impact with the need to remain profitable (31:15)
Examples of Twilio working with smaller, more localized organizations (33:20)
The goal of no code tools and some resources at Twilio and elsewhere that you can use right now (43:05)
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Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Support the show
In this episode, Marisa Malik and Kedra Priest of Integral Care Austin’s EMCOT team.
The Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (EMCOT) works with the City of Austin (TX) first responders to divert jail bookings and emergency department (ED) admissions by providing real-time response for mental health crisis emergency calls. They provide short-term community-based interventions to stabilize a person in a psychiatric crisis and connect them with Integral Care services or other appropriate care.
To learn more about Integral Care Austin visit their website.
To get in touch with the Integral Care team call 512-472-HELP (4357).
To learn more about the specific Crisis Services offered by Integral visit here.
Follow Integral Care: YouTube | Facebook | Twitter
To get in touch with Maris or Kedra directly, email them at:
Marisa.Malik@integralcare.org | kedra.priest@integralcare.org
– – – – –
How did the Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (EMCOT) get started? (01:15)
What is the EMCOT program and how does it work? (04:25)
Criteria used for call screening and the effectiveness of it (06:20)
Number of calls dispatch is handling and the number of times an EMCOT team is sent into the field (09:30)
EMCOT’s relationship with local EMS and Police and the benefits that come from each organization handling their area of expertise (12:05)
The coverage area of Austin EMCOT handles and how that has scaled over time (14:35)
Where are EMCOT team members recruited from and what qualifications are needed to join (16:10)
The actual on-scene duties and services being offered (17:55)
Building the partnerships with EMS and Police, where they started, how integrated they’ve now become, and when that mutual respect truly set in (20:50)
Which crises types did EMCOT handle when the program started and how have they added to that over time (27:35)
How to deal with the large variety of situations and which outside organizations may make a good partner for specific case types (31:15)
Efficacy metrics EMCOT uses to track their impact (33:55)
What the cost of their services are and how they handle it to make sure everyone who needs a service gets a service (38:55)
Integration with and impact of the 988 line being added (42:30)
Goals for scaling the program in the next three years (44:50)
Recommendations and lessons learned for those trying to do similar work (46:15)
– – – – –
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Support the show
Episode 1: Violence Intervention in Hartford with Andrew Woods, Shenell Benjamin, and Tyrone Bynum Jr. from Hartford Communities That Care
In today’s episode Jason sits down with three team members from Hartford Communities That Care (HCTC), Connecticut's pre-eminent violence intervention program, responding to more than 2,000 violent crimes. Hartford Communities That Care provides crisis response, mental health and supportive programs to improve the lives of youth and adult victims of crime and their families.
Host: Jason Friesen
Guests: Andrew Woods (Executive Director, HCTC), Shenell Benjamin (Response Team Director, HCTC), Tyrone Bynum Jr. (Senior Intervention Specialist, HCTC)
Learn more about Hartford Communities That Care and all the amazing work they are doing by visiting their website, following them on Facebook, or getting directly in touch by emailing: info@HartfordCTC.org
Jason Friesen is the Founder and Executive Director of Trek Medics International, a 501c3-registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) dedicated to improving access to emergency response networks in communities across the globe through innovative mobile phone technologies.
Learn more about Trek Medics International by visiting their website, and for more info on the Beacon Crisis Response Platform visit here.
Follow Trek Medics on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
Introduction (00:00)
Welcoming Hartford Communities That Care team members Andrew, Shenell, and Ty to the show (01:04)
History of Hartford Communities That Care (HCTC), services they offer, and how those services have grown or changed over the years (01:36)
Andrew’s background and how he grew the organization from just him and some associates to the full-scale operation it is today (05:00)
What is the Response Team within HCTC that Shenell runs, who all is a part of that team, and what services are they focused on offering (07:30)
What actually happens from the moment the call comes in from the hospital to when their services to the victims are complete (10:35)
What’s the state of mind entering a heightened emergency situation (14:38)
The training that HCTC provides its team and how those training best practices were developed (15:57)
Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) trade association and what they can offer anyone wanting to get involved in the industry (18:10)
Establishing their response team as an authoritative organization within the community and building the necessary partnerships to do their work (19:00)
What kind of people are their teams looking for, and what qualities make for a great intervention specialist (21:45)
How would someone go about getting a similar organization started in their own community (23:17)
Demonstrating value to the community and quantifiable impact to possible funding partners (25:45)
Opportunities for HCTC to scale, what their goals are, and how they plan to get there (30:25)
An experience from the field that hit close to home and why the information and data an organization like HCTC offers a community helps so much (35:13)
Final thoughts from the panel and saying goodbye (39:23)