
An integrated approach to combatting violence in Baltimore
With cohesive programs for children, youth, and adults, LifeBridge Health’s Center for Hope is committed to breaking the cycle of violence in Baltimore, Maryland. The Center has seen tremendous growth and made substantial headway in its mission in recent years, using Collaborate to document and quantify their impact along the way.
“Collaborate has been the backbone of our case management processes for close to eight years now. I’ve found Network Ninja to be great partners. Collaborate is a database that has grown with us to address the ever-expanding needs of our team for the benefit of our clients.”
Adam Rosenberg
Vice President, Violence Intervention and Prevention, LifeBridge Health
Deep roots in Charm City
Part of the Center for Hope’s origins can be traced back to the Baltimore Child Abuse Center (BCAC), which was established in 1987 as the first child advocacy center in the state of Maryland (and one of the earliest CACs in the country).
With a desire to leverage new technology and data analysis to provide the best service possible for every child and community, BCAC adopted Collaborate as its case management system in 2018.
Joining the LifeBridge family
In 2019, BCAC became a wholly owned subsidiary of LifeBridge Health, a nonprofit healthcare provider. By integrating multiple anti-violence programs under one entity, the Center for Hope was born.
“LifeBridge, and especially CEO Neil Meltzer, takes a true public health perspective to ending and preventing violence in Baltimore,” says Adam Rosenberg, Executive Director at the Center for Hope. With that holistic mindset, LifeBridge rolled up several more local programs into the Center for Hope. Its roster grew to include domestic violence response, elder justice, and multiple organizations aimed at ending community violence.
To house all of these programs, more space was needed. In 2020, ground was broken on a new headquarters, and in 2022, the Center for Hope opened its state-of-the-art 32,000 square foot facility.
“Our building was designed from the ground up to be client focused with the intention of advancing hope, healing, and resilience for those impacted by trauma, abuse and violence through comprehensive response, treatment, education, and prevention,” Rosenberg explains.
Collaborate supports Center for Hope’s growth
Many of the Center for Hope’s programs have followed the child advocacy center’s lead and adopted Collaborate to track their efforts, including:
- The DOVE Domestic Violence Program at Northwest Hospital, which assists patients and community members with free and confidential services,
- PAAVE (Pathways to Advocacy Against Violence Every day), which supports Baltimore City’s most at-risk children and families with support for those who have experienced homicide and shootings,
- The Violence Response Team (VRT) of Sinai Hospital, a 24/7 crisis response program that helps patients experiencing trauma as a result of an act of violence, and
- Center for Hope’s Medical Program, which provides in-house medical exams to abuse victims.
Many programs, one software system. To see how LifeBridge Health’s Center for Hope uses Collaborate to better serve their community, contact us for a demo.