Stand Up S.A. will Provide Information and Training on Specific Strategies to Bring about Behavior Change

By R.Eguia
StandUp S.A. is a com- munity-wide movement de- signed to prevent violence by treating the issue as if it were an infectious disease. The mission of StandUp S.A. is to minimize and eliminate violence as whole from San Antonio and provide safer environments in currently violent communities. In ef- fort to ensure we are uphold- ing the mission of StandUp S.A., we have set forth the following priorities:

• 1. Detecting and interrupt- ing potentially violent conflicts by preventing retaliations and mediat- ing ongoing conflicts.
• 2. Identifying the high- est at risk communities and treating them by accessing the high at risk individuals, gaining their trust, change their behavior and providing treatment.
• 3. Mobilizing the community to change norms by responding to shootings, organizing the commu- nity to voice their objec- tion to the violence and spread both healthy and positive norms through- out the community.

Stand Up S.A is avail- able to present workshops at your organization’s events. You can visit their website at https://www.sanantonio. gov/Health/HealthyLiving/ ViolencePrevention and complete the event form to be reviewed.

“Credible messengers” are hired and trained to develop relationships and trust within the community in order to “interrupt” violence. These Outreach Workers will work closely with area residents, businesses, and community- based organizations in three targeted neighborhoods: Lin- coln Courts, Springhill, and Wheatley Courts.

The team will build sufficient trust with “high-risk individuals” and influence the way these young people think and act while redirect- ing them to positive pursuits and other alternatives to violence.

They will identify and detect potential shooting events, and individuals and groups at highest risk of involvement in a shooting or killing.
Once identified, they will in- tervene in crises and mediate conflicts between individuals and/or groups in order to foster behavior change by providing information and skills and connecting clients to social services.

Stand Up S.A. will provide the community with informa- tion and training on specific strategies to bring about be- havior change.