Center for American Progress

Community Violence Intervention: Raymond Solorzano and Southern California Crossroads
Video

Community Violence Intervention: Raymond Solorzano and Southern California Crossroads

Pastor Raymond Solorzano shares how his message of hope for those affected by gun violence can help inspire a life free of violence.

Part of a Series
When you help someone, it can reduce the violence that takes place in our communities. Raymond Solorzano

Pastor Raymond Solorzano works with Southern California Crossroads, an organization that focuses on providing safety and healing to individuals who have been affected by gun violence in their communities. A community violence intervention (CVI) success story himself, Raymond is both a CVI advocate and practitioner. In his role at Crossroads, Raymond visits individuals at the local trauma recovery center who have suffered violent injuries and connects them with social services that can remove barriers to achieving a life free of violence.

Raymond’s trauma-informed approach is shared by many hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs), which place mental health specialists and credible messengers in hospital emergency rooms or trauma recovery centers to offer support in vulnerable moments, ease retaliatory tensions, and connect individuals with additional services when they have suffered a firearm-related injury. In this video, Raymond shares how powerful this moment can be for violence-impacted individuals who are ready to change their life’s trajectory.

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Authors

Chandler Hall

Associate Director, Gun Violence Prevention

Nick Wilson

Senior Director, Gun Violence Prevention

Producers

Hai-Lam Phan

Senior Director, Creative

Ala Al Sadi

Former Video Producer

Toni Pandolfo

Video Producer, Production

Madalyn Reagan

Video Intern

Matthew Gossage

Events Video Producer

Team

Gun Violence Prevention

Our goal is to reduce gun violence by enacting strong gun laws, increasing investment in local solutions, and growing the movement dedicated to this mission.

Explore The Series

Photo shows a young man lighting a candle in the late evening

In America, gunshots rattle communities every 11 minutes. Amid this cycle of tragedy, community violence intervention (CVI) programs are addressing the root causes of violence to end cycles before they can start.

Through collaboration with residents and government officials, CVI programs curb the spread of gun violence by meeting community members where they are and responding to their individual needs. In violence-affected neighborhoods, residents are grappling with trauma and long-standing hardships that fuel the rise in shootings. But CVI programs channel resources back into the community, improving access to needed resources such as education, employment, housing, and health care.

In a nation haunted by the daily occurrence of gun violence, CVI programs provide a path forward—toward healing, unity, and a safer future for everyone.

This series highlights resources on CVI programs and stories from the voices of change on the front lines of America’s gun violence epidemic. These narratives are a reminder of the challenges and successes that outline the effort to save more lives.

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