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Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson Awards Third Cohort Of Victim Services Advocates At Graduation Ceremony

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CHICAGO – Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson joined City leaders and anti-violence advocates to celebrate the graduation of the third cohort of victim advocate trainees at Malcom X College. The Victim Advocate Training program, which provides victim advocates the skills needed to support and empower survivors impacted by gun violence, is led by the Mayor's Office of Community Safety (MOCS) and the Department of Public Health (CDPH) in partnership with City Colleges of Chicago.

"I'm honored to be here today congratulating another incredible group of dedicated community advocates. I'm grateful for the commitment each has made to fostering stronger, safer communities," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "We will never completely turn the page on violence in our city if we don't work to heal our communities and address the trauma that too many face. Our Victims' Services Advocates show what Chicago is made of—compassion, resilience, and the determination to meet suffering with support."

The comprehensive training curriculum provides participants with the essential knowledge and skills needed to effectively support and empower survivors of violent crime. By focusing on a trauma-informed approach, the program ensures that advocates are well-equipped to address the unique challenges survivors face.

This is the third class to graduate from the program, building on the success of the first cohort who graduated in December 2024 and the second cohort who completed the program in August 2025.

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"Supporting victims and helping their families navigate hardship and trauma is the most important work that we do," said Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood. "We're continuing to see crime trending down and violence trending down, and that's great. But we cannot lose sight of those families who've been impacted by violence who need us to be there. By equipping Chicagoans with tools to aid and embrace their neighbors when they need it most, we're laying the foundations of safer communities across our city."

Graduates from the program gained pertinent skills and expertise including:
  • Introduction to Victim Advocacy;
  • Navigating Domestic Violence Resources;    
  • Medical Advocacy;
  • Case Management and Documentation;
  • Vicarious Trauma / Self Care;
  • CVI and Victim Services Coordination;
  • Cultural Humility / Family Liaison Office Overview;
  • Safety Planning for Victim Advocates and Survivors;
  • Gender Based Violence and Human Trafficking;
  • Navigating Grief.

"It's a continued honor and pleasure to lead the charge in victim advocacy work. The journey to support professionalizing victim advocacy work in Chicago through the co-creation of a standardized, trauma-informed victim advocate training is a critical step toward ensuring that victim advocates from both large and grassroots organizations have equal access to the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively assist individuals who have experienced trauma due to community violence," said Stephaney Harris, Victim Services Lead at the Mayor's Office of Community Safety. "As we celebrate yet another milestone in this work, we want to acknowledge the commitment, support, and invaluable feedback from victim advocates, survivors, and various thought partners."

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MOCS will maintain its partnership with CDPH and City Colleges along with various community parters, victim advocates, and survivors to utilize the training curriculum to co-design a certification pathway for City Colleges to advance career pipelines for victim advocates and community health workers. Malcolm X College, through their Community Health Worker (CHW) program, will host the certification pathway for Victim Advocates.

This work will begin in 2026 by incorporating the finalized training curriculum into a micro-certification program for victim advocates and CHWs. Throughout 2026, the Mayor's Office will continue to champion this initiative while also exploring innovative ways to advance career pipelines for victim advocates and community health workers.

The 40-hour training certification program is a critical facet of the People's Plan for Community Safey—the Johnson administration's people- and place-base strategy to address the root causes of violence through partnerships and community investments.

Violent crime in Chicago is declining at historic rates as the Johnson administration has worked to address the root causes of crime and disrupt cycles of violence through the implementation of community-led initiatives, including the Victim Advocate Training program, that support the individuals most acutely impacted by violence.

Over the last 12 months the City of Chicago has tracked the following decreases in major categories of violent crime:
  • Homicides: -28.4%
  • Shootings: -32.4%
  • Multi-victim shootings: -36.1%
  • Robberies: -34.8%
  • Vehicular Hijackings: -48.9%
  • All violent crime: -22.5%

For more information about the Victim Advocates training program or to learn about upcoming opportunities, please contact Stephaney Harris, Victim Services Lead at Stephaney.Harris@cityofchicago.org.

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