NorCal SCI & Youth Alive Partner to Help Victims of SCI resulting from Gun Violence

NorCal SCI's Arash Bayatmakou with various members of the Youth Alive Caught in the Crossfire and Counseling Services team, on September 10, 2024

As an organization, NorCal SCI continues to seek partnerships and alliances with like-minded organizations who are supporting people who’ve suffered spinal cord injuries. Through a mutual friend from the local chapter of Moms Demand Action (a nationwide grassroots organization fighting to protect people from gun violence), we were recently introduced to the team at Oakland-based, Youth Alive.

Youth Alive is a 501c3 organization whose mission is to break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond.

After some initial discussions and meetings over the summer, Youth Alive hosted NorCal SCI Executive Director Arash Bayatmakou on September 10th to share with their team the services, grants, and support that NorCal SCI provides to people who have suffered SCIs.

For the mental health counselors and members of the Youth Alive Caught in the Crossfire team (who visit victims of gun violence and their families in the hospital) it’s essential to be aware of the resources and services available to gunshot survivors living with SCIs.

For many of these individuals, the psychological trauma of gun violence combined with the physical challenges of SCI and living with disabilities can be overwhelming and debilitating. The hope is that with greater knowledge of the services NorCal SCI provides as well as the information, events, and opportunities for additional support from our partners, Youth Alive can connect people to the greater Northern California SCI community.

Sadly, with gun violence remaining a prevalent issue in the US, cases of SCI from gunshot wounds have increased. Hopefully with partnerships like this one, gunshot wound victims can gain access to better support and we can all work together to reduce the incidents of gun violence through our nation.