Strategic Planning & Community Engagement

What We’ve Learned

Since June 2020, VIP leaders met with individual stakeholders including community-based service providers, non-profit directors, public systems leaders and community members and:

• The Health Equity Council (formerly the Bernalillo County Community Health Council) conducted a survey on gun violence and its impacts and made recommendations regarding the work of the Violence Intervention Program and gun violence reduction in Albuquerque.
• Assessed community readiness from diverse representatives of southeast neighborhoods;
• Convened a new network "VIP All-In" comprised of 25 community-based organizations;
• Worked with VIP All-In network and identified new partners and stakeholders to support the VIP social services coordinator with custom notification and provision of critical services for VIP participants;
• Met throughout the year with community advocates self-organized from the Black community;
• Launched a 30-day Kingian Nonviolence campaign; and
• Collaborated with community organizations to write a letter of support for a congressional earmark to provide seed funding for hospital-based violence intervention and first Trauma Recovery Center.

We learned gun violence means “preventable death,” “intentional misuse,” “fear” and “unsafe communities” to a number of survey respondents. In the International District, trusted leaders and gun violence preventions programs exist. However, not all community members connect with those leaders and programs. Being responsive is a helpful way to build trust and connection. Some of the primary obstacles to efforts addressing gun violence in the International District are lack of resources; communication and collaboration.

Quotes from community members include:

"Don't treat neighborhoods within the SE and the SW as one geographic area. Each neighborhood has its own challenges and strengths."

"Cultivate and sustain an ecosystem that develops justice. Work should be deeply rooted in and informed by people from the neighborhood."

"Community must be able to hold the program accountable - part of that is to partner in development."

Strategic Plan Survey and Community Listening Sessions

Please see results of survey and listening sessions below:

• VIP Community Survey Results, Data, and Themes
• Community Listening Sessions Feedback
• VIP 2022 Strategic Plan

VIP Two Year Strategic Plan

VIP’s strategic plan for the next two years is intended to move our community closer to a future free from gun violence.

The City of Albuquerque’s VIP team is grateful to the many individuals and advocates, community coalitions, and service provider agencies as well as system stakeholders who have contributed their time, insights, and feedback to shape VIP work. We invite you to explore this plan and engage with us as we continue to work toward a safer Albuquerque for everyone.

View the final VIP Strategic Plan.