ROAR expands its reach throughout the Baltimore City by collaborating with other local organizations to

• Reduce barriers and “silos of care” to create a more integrated network of care for survivors;
• Provide workshops, clinics, and referrals to survivors working with other organizations;
• Offer on-site legal counseling and legal services at a local hospital for patients who have survived crimes;
• Educate staff at other local organizations about survivors’ rights and basic legal concepts so they can better support their clients;
• Share expertise, best practices, and successful models of survivor support and violence intervention;
• Contribute to legislative and movement efforts to reform our criminal justice system.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Medical-Legal Partnership

ROAR’s medical-legal partnership specifically for gun violence survivors is the first of its kind in the nation.

Through this partnership, a ROAR attorney works on-site at the Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland to counsel survivors about their legal rights and advocate for their rights while they’re a patient at the hospital. Our attorney works alongside the hospital’s medical, mental health, case management, and violence intervention providers. By being there in the earliest moments following the crime and supporting survivors even at their bedside, we can interrupt the cycle of violence and help survivors protect their rights and interests.

The Collaborative

The Collaborative is a coalition of higher education programs, nonprofits, and government agencies focused on healing individuals and communities from violence.

Through this partnership, ROAR provides free

• Legal assistance at expungement clinics to help people through the complex process of clearing their criminal records;
• Peer healing circles that provide a safe space for survivors to support each other, process their trauma, and work toward their therapy goals;
• Training for community violence intervention leaders about basic rights and legal concepts, and how to connect survivors with ROAR’s attorneys and other legal services.

Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Programs

The CVI approach involves known and trusted community members serving as anti-violence messengers, intervening and mediating conflicts, and encouraging positive change.

ROAR works with a growing number of CVI programs in Baltimore City, including:

• Safe Streets Baltimore, a city-funded CVI program working in ten locations across the city.
• We Our Us, a group of Baltimore men who serve as mentors, protectors, and mediators for boys and young men.
• Peace Players, a group engaging Baltimore youth in after-school sports, conflict resolution, and leadership development programs.
• SONS of Phoenix, a group connecting Baltimore youth to job training, leadership skills, and financial literacy.

Other Community Partnerships

Center for Restorative Change places social workers at select Baltimore middle schools and high schools who counsel youth struggling due to their family circumstances. These young people and their families are connected with ROAR for support and services when needed.

TurnAround, a rape crisis center serving Baltimore City and Baltimore County, refers legal cases to ROAR that involve domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking.

Roca Baltimore intervenes in the lives of hard-to-reach youth and young adults who have experienced violence and trauma and are at high risk of being involved in gun violence. ROAR provides a monthly clinic for Roca staff and clients to help them navigate the complex application process of CICB, the victim’s compensation fund in Maryland.

ROAR is also a non-hospital member of The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI). Many Baltimore City hospitals have violence intervention programs that refer patients to ROAR, including:

• Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Sinai Hospital and Grace Medical (both LifeBridge)
• Harbor Hospital (MedStar)
• Ascension St. Agnes Hospital
• Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland

Community Events

As capacity allows, ROAR staff members participate in community events to provide educational materials, answer questions, and offer information to the public. Please contact us if your school or organization would like ROAR to staff a table at an upcoming event.