Launching in January 2022, North Lawndale Collaborative (NLC) served as a "pilot" community with efforts to scale community violence intervention services. By early 2023, valuable lessons were quickly learned that informed the design of Scaling CVI for a Safer Chicago, or SC2, including the importance of establishing hub organizations to build local leadership and ensure community buy-in and the need to provide access to SC2's five core services. That framework now anchors the service plan every SC2 community coalition must build.
The North Lawndale Collaborative didn’t just precede SC2 – it helped shape it. Although the NLC began in 2022, given some fundamental differences with SC2, it took time to align best practices. As of July, 2025, NLC is fully aligned with SC2 in terms of governance and service structure, reporting frequency, and collection of data.
Community Coalition Hub
Community Coalition Partners
Each SC2 community coalition is required to provide the five core services: Street Outreach, Case Management, Clinical & Non-Clinical Behavioral Health, Education, and Employment. Community-based organizations (CBOs) work alongside the SC2 Implementation Team to determine annual goals for service provision according to capacity.
The figures represented above show all participants who have been served or are currently being served through each respective core service in relation to each service goal. Services are provided by any participating CBO within the North Lawndale Coalition.
For example, a participant may be received by an agency that provides Street Outreach services and referred to a different agency that provides Behavioral Health Services. Part of the continual capacity-building support provided to CBOs is ensuring strong communication between service providers in the interest of maintaining seamless referrals between North Lawndale providers.
Data updated through 6/30/2026.
Participants served by SC2 in North Lawndale contribute to SC2's broader goal of reaching 75% of the highest risk individuals across Chicago. ‘Served’ participants refer to those who have completed intake and have been referred to additional core services. Served participants are actively engaged in services but have not yet reached the criteria for completion. SC2 participants are designated as ‘Completed’ once they have received at least three of the five core services (Street Outreach, Case Management, Behavioral Health, Employment, or Education) AND have EITHER completed an employment program, are placed in a job, or have completed education requirements toward a degree.
Data updated through 6/30/2026.
Gabriel knows firsthand how quickly life can change. Just over 2 years ago, he survived a life-threatening shooting in which he was struck multiple times, beginning a long journey of physical and emotional recovery. Rather than allowing that traumatic experience to define his future, Gabriel came to view his survival as an opportunity to move forward with greater purpose, describing each step in his recovery as a victory. Today, Gabriel is no longer fighting to survive - he's building a future. He is employed, staying out of trouble, focused on his work and providing for his children, and recently celebrated an important achievement by earning his high school diploma. Earning his diploma marks another chapter in Gabriel’s transformation and reflects the commitment he is making to himself and his family. After facing a moment that could have ended his story, Gabriel is choosing instead to write what comes next - one centered on employment, education, fatherhood, stability, and opportunity. His journey is a reminder that a second chance can become the foundation for an entirely new direction.
Devon's journey is a powerful example of what can happen when determination, opportunity, and a commitment to family come together. After spending three years incarcerated, Devon returned home determined not to let his past define his future. He set goals for himself that included finding stable employment, continuing his education, and being a present and active father. Today, Devon is turning those goals into reality. He is employed, staying out of trouble, focused on providing for his children, and recently achieved an especially meaningful milestone - earning his high school diploma. For Devon, earning his diploma represents more than an educational accomplishment. It's another step toward the stable and successful future he envisioned for himself. His children continue to be a driving force behind his growth, motivating him to make responsible choices, build generational opportunities the right way, and set an example for his children. Devon’s story shows that a person’s past does not have to determine what comes next. With hard work and purpose, a new chapter is always possible
