Community Violence Intervention (CVI)
at The Reverence Project
At The Reverence Project (TRP), we believe that healing is the foundation of community safety. Our CVI work began by offering trauma-informed support to victims and survivors of violent crime, recognizing that healing individual wounds is key to breaking the cycle of violence across entire communities.
Building on this foundation, TRP has expanded its approach to include direct violence intervention, youth outreach, and entrepreneurial education. Our programs in Watts and across Los Angeles are designed to prevent violence before it starts, offer immediate emotional support after incidents, and strengthen long-term community resilience.
This flyer is for Healing Circles held in the Jordan Downs development. There are also healing circles offered in Nickerson Gardens, Imperial Courts, and Gonzaque Village.
Executive Director Alisa Blair provides insight into the philosophy behind CVI work and the Community Based Public Safety Collective's strategy for helping CVI organizations develop and build capacity.
Our CVI Efforts Include:
Intervention and Mediation
• TRP interventionists respond directly to community conflicts, providing real-time mediation to de-escalate violence and build pathways to peace.
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• We act as facilitators between groups that may be at odds, maintaining TRP as a neutral, trusted space where dialogue and healing can occur.
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• TRP staff are first responders to conflict calls in the community, providing immediate emotional support and helping prevent further harm.
Healing Circles and Emotional Support
• We host weekly healing circles every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Watts, open to community members, youth fellows, and TRP staff.
• These circles offer a space for emotional healing and growth, with workshops focused on topics such as depression, trauma recovery, and community resilience.
• TRP also facilitates healing spaces within Watts’ housing developments and city-wide for community intervention workers under the GRYD (Gang Reduction and Youth Development) program.
Safe Passage and Youth Leadership Development
• Through the Watts Shared Safety
Initiative (WSSI), TRP employs and
trains 16 Safe Passage Fellows who
ensure students' safety traveling to
and from six schools across Watts.
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• Fellows are trained in conflict
resolution and de-escalation
techniques, helping to defuse
potential altercations and creating
safer environments for young people.
• TRP’s youth leadership and entrepreneurial programs also serve as a preventive intervention, equipping young people with skills, purpose, and opportunity to build positive futures.
Trauma-Informed Training
• We train community-based public safety professionals across Los Angeles in recognizing and addressing vicarious trauma, an often-overlooked consequence of frontline intervention work.
• Our trainings introduce alternative healing practices and holistic therapies to help intervention workers sustain their physical, mental, and emotional well-being while performing high-risk work.
Our Impact
TRP’s model is rooted in community trust, neutrality, and healing. We are committed to being a neutral space where all parties can come together, find common ground, and work toward transformation. By addressing immediate needs, building emotional resilience, and offering alternatives to violence, TRP is creating lasting change in Watts and beyond.
Healing and safety go hand in hand—and at The Reverence Project, we are proud to lead with both.
