A violence prevention program launched in Ingham County last November is expanding to Lincoln Park Public Schools next month.
The Prevent 2 Protect program was created at Michigan State University in 2022. It’s designed to help prevent targeted violence in K-12 schools, which it defines as “violence that is premeditated and directed at specific individuals, groups, or locations.” The program helps support students who have been identified as high risk through a behavioral threat assessment.
All Michigan schools are now required to implement behavior threat assessment teams, after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation that took effect in January. But retired Police Chief Ellery Sosebee, the law enforcement liaison for the program, says that after a threat assessment identifies a high-risk student, there isn’t always a follow-up process to intervene and support them.
“That’s where we come in,” Sosebee said. “We have our mentor piece, which is a piece that most programs don’t have.”
As part of the program, at-risk youths receive an individualized care plan and meet with a mentor up to five times a week.
“We're saying every kid needs something different, and we're going to figure out what that is,” said Mary Gebara, the project’s regional case manager for schools in Ingham County. “We're going to help them get as many resources as possible so that we can make a real impact on them and their community.”
The program assembles teams of mental health professionals, educators and law enforcement to provide community-based support for at-risk youth and their families.
“They need to know that people care about them. They need to know that they're wanted and accepted,” Gebara said.
Prevent 2 Protect is currently operating in Calhoun, Ingham, Lake, Oceana and Mason counties. Lincoln Park is next on the list.
But Prevent 2 Protect project manager Danielle Murphy says even students outside of these areas can receive a “community consultation,” by completing a confidential form on the Prevent 2 Protect website.
“We don't like to say ‘no’ to people. We're very big fans of the no-closed door policy,” Murphy said.
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.