The Coalition has been helpful in the development of many hospital-based intervention programs, including the state’s newest survivor advocacy initiative at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster, Maryland. The Center for Hope Abuse and Assault Response Team (CHAART) will join the efforts of other Center for Hope violence response programs in the LifeBridge Health family at Sinai Hospital, Northwest Hospital and Grace Medical Center, as well as the long-established Carroll SAFE Program. The CHAART manager, Colleen Moore (who has been involved with the Coalition for many years and is the current president) is in the process of developing a caring and effective response to patients who are identified as being victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder and vulnerable adult abuse, and community violence. The vision is to improve the safety, wellbeing, health, and opportunities of survivors of violence and abuse in the community by providing crisis intervention, safety planning, extended suppo rt, and referrals through empowering partnerships; ultimately working toward healing individuals, solidifying families and uplifting communities. Coalition materials and guidance are very instrumental in formulating policies, protocols, forms, and outreach materials.

The CHAART program is part of Center for Hope, a LifeBridge Health comprehensive violence intervention and prevention organization, that brings hope and healing to survivors of child abuse, trafficking and exploitation, domestic violence, community violence and elder abuse. Center for Hope offers integrated programs and services for all victims of interpersonal and intracommunity violence, from cradle to old age. The Jill Fox Center for Hope building is located on Sinai Hospital’s extended campus. LifeBridge Health recognizes community violence as a public health issue and is committed to breaking the cycle of violence and its lifelong impact in the communities it serves.  For more information, visit www.lifebridgehealth.org/CenterforHope.