Safer Futures
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Phone: (757) 668-9996
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Hospital Violence Intervention Program
Frontline health care workers in emergency departments are all too often witnesses to the aftermath of shootings, stabbings, and other violence that scars victims and families. Treating victims of trauma caused by violence is one of the most critical tasks performed by first responders and emergency medical personnel. Expanding our reach into communities through initiatives such as a community-based violence intervention program is a crucial step to improving overall public health.
Our Safer Futures program is a grant funded program to help children of violence, their families, and the communities where they live. The goal is to break the cycle of violence. Reduce reinjury rate. Strengthen neighborhoods. Give families resources to keep them safe. And help what’s known as “second victims,” – the family members, friends, neighbors, and other witnesses of violence in homes, schools, workplaces, or on the street.
This multidisciplinary program combines the efforts of medical staff with trusted community-based partners to provide safety planning, services, and trauma-informed care to violently injured children and young adults. The program also helps to identify patients at risk of repeat violent injury and connects them with hospital- and community-based resources aimed at addressing underlying risk factors of violence.
About Our Safer Futures Program
The Hospital Violence Intervention Program at CHKD seeks to provide comprehensive care to patients who have been violently injured in the Hampton Roads community through advocacy, addressing psychological trauma, individualized service planning, and clinical case management services rendered in the hospital and community settings.
Provide trauma-informed services to address social determinants of health which will promote positive health outcomes and reduce risk for reinjury.
Objectives:
- Reduce the number of patients who present to CHKD as a result of a violent injury sustained in the community.
- Address risk-factors for repeat injury.
- Utilize person-centered planning to connect patients to important resources and services in their community.
Participation in Safer Futures is limited to CHKD patients and families who present to our hospital with injuries sustained from an act of violence in the community. These injuries typically include gunshot wounds, stab wounds, and/or injuries from a physical assault.
Refer to Our Safer Futures Program
CHKD Safer Futures Team Receives Hope Award
Safer Futures Team Named 2024 Healthcare Heroes
Gun Violence Awareness Day 2025
Shayla Callis, Intervention Specialist
Shayla Callis, MA, is an accomplished Intervention Specialist with the Safer Futures Program, dedicated to supporting families and youth. Having grown up in Hampton, Virginia, she now resides in Suffolk with her husband and their twin daughters. She earned her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology from Old Dominion University, followed by a graduate degree in Human Services Counseling.
Shayla has a rich professional background, having worked extensively with Child Protective Services Investigations. Additionally, she has served as a community-based counselor, focusing on youth and families across Hampton Roads. Her expertise lies in trauma-informed care, where she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to provide comprehensive support to families in need. Her commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of adolescents and their families is evident in her work.
Vickie Madison, MA, Intervention Specialist
Vickie Madison, MA, is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is an alumnus of Norfolk State University. She holds a BA in psychology and a MA in community clinical psychology. She has completed extensive postgraduate coursework at Old Dominion University. She is also a resident in counseling and a certified General District Court mediator.
Her prior work experience includes substance abuse counseling, school based mental health counseling, college and career readiness counseling and coordination, non-profit organization management, and project management with the Saint Paul’s Community Revitalization Project.
She and her husband Mark are the proud parents of three adult children and a cat named “Kat.”
Kayla Wilson, DHS, LCSW Program Coordinator
Safer Futures program coordinator Kayla Wilson, LCSW, holds a BA in Sociology, a Master of Social Work, and a Doctorate in Human Services.
Her prior professional experience includes trauma and rehab social work, working with victims of domestic violence and homelessness, as well as an internship within a hospital violence intervention program at a level one trauma center. Her clinical interests focus on supporting individuals affected by community and interpersonal violence.
Kayla is passionate about community engagement and advocacy outside her professional commitments. She actively volunteers with the American Diabetes Association and served as a court advocate. Additionally, she has designed and led training sessions for healthcare staff on trauma-informed social work practices within a hospital setting.