Introduction

Although any death of a loved one can be difficult to emotionally process, the violent and unexpected nature of homicide is particularly challenging for remaining family members and friends.[1] Processing grief, navigating the complex criminal justice system, and continuing to fulfill daily responsibilities can be overwhelming for survivors of homicide victims and can result in lasting psychological trauma.[2] Survivors may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suffer from intrusive thoughts, or take extreme measures to avoid reminders of the homicide.[3] Survivors may be hesitant to share these struggles with their family and friends for fear of being a burden.[4]

The needs of survivors are manifold, but they can be generally subsumed into the following categories:[5]

  • Psycho-emotional support and counseling
  • Practical/concrete services
  • Criminal justice advocacy

Several organizations have emerged at both national and local levels to address these survivors’ needs. These organizations can introduce healthy coping tools for better long-term recovery, refer survivors to emotional and financial assistance, and provide an ongoing support system for individuals who find it difficult to recreate a sense of normalcy.[6] In general, the services these organizations provide can be integral to the mental well-being and recovery of survivors of homicide victims.

Current Study

We examined Chicago Survivors, a Chicago-based homicide survivor organization. Data collection and analysis occurred from July 2019 through January 2021. The program provides supportive counseling, financial assistance, practical assistance, funeral planning, memorial services, support groups, and criminal justice advocacy to survivors of homicide victims. The services aim to provide personalized care needed for healing and mental well-being and help survivors find a sense of normalcy following the loss of their loved ones. In addition, the organization guides survivors through the criminal justice system and informs them of their rights, giving survivors a sense of control, which is also important for the healing process.

Chicago Survivors delivers these services through the use of specialized staff. Crisis responders are responsible for arriving at the scene of a homicide to provide emotional support, act as a liaison between survivors and law enforcement, and give information on Chicago Survivors’ free services. If survivors agree to services, they are assigned a family support specialist who will work with them for up to six months. Family support specialists are non-clinical staff who provide supportive care and case management to the survivors and provide referrals for any other items or services they may need that the program cannot provide (e.g., childcare, transportation, furniture). Chicago Survivors also employs youth clinical counselors—licensed clinicians who work with any youth who may be impacted by homicide. The program also houses a criminal justice advocate who can guide survivors through the criminal justice system, including related court and law enforcement processes. Upon completion of services, survivors may join the Community of Survivors, a long-term support group which meets throughout the city and hosts memorial activities, group dinners, and other community events.

Methodology

The goal of this evaluation was to learn more about the development of the program, determine important stakeholders’ views of the program, and identify any barriers to program implementation and service delivery. To do this, we conducted semi-structured interviews with program staff (n = 11), partners (n = 7), and clients (n = 11). We also analyzed the program’s administrative data, including a sample of client PTSD pre- and post-scores from July 2019 through December 2019. Clients’ scores were measured through the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), a validated tool for monitoring symptom changes and making provisional PTSD diagnoses.[7] This study was approved by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority’s Institutional Review Board.

Program staff were recruited and scheduled for study participation by the Chicago Survivors administration. Program partner contact information also was provided by Chicago Survivors. The partners were emailed several times requesting participation in a research interview. To recruit clients, the program recommended allowing family support specialists to describe the goal of the research to clients and request their participation. This allowed for clients to contact us out of their own volition in order to reduce potential re-traumatization. Although only 11 clients were able to be interviewed using this recruitment method, this sample size of survivors is consistent with those used in previous interview-based studies.[8]

Study Limitations

As with all research, there were limitations to this evaluation. First, all participants were curated through Chicago Survivors’ administration and were current staff, partners, or clients of the program. We were unable to contact former staff, including those who quit or were fired. We only interviewed clients above the age of 18, omitting youth client feedback on the program. Our client sample was comprised of primarily middle-aged Black women, and although many of Chicago Survivors’ clients fit this demographic, we cannot conclude that the experience of those in our sample was representative of all clients or survivors in Chicago.

Due to multiple changes in their case management system, the program could not provide detailed administrative data, besides PTSD scores, which matched the interview time period of July 2019 to December 2019. Instead, the administration agreed to provide what they could collect from January 2020 to September 2020. For this time period, the program was able to provide basic client demographic information, number and types of services provided, types of crisis funds for survivors, and number of referrals made. Program representatives sent a small sample of scanned client feedback surveys, but information garnered from them was limited with no way to verify whether a full collection of surveys was provided or just those with select responses. Other administrative data was unobtainable. Due to these limitations, most findings were garnered from interview data.

Evaluation Findings

Overall, interviews indicated Chicago Survivors was a successful program. Clients reported that the emotional support offered by the program was particularly impactful, while program partners valued Chicago Survivors’ reliability and the unique role the organization served in the homicide process. Staff generally felt supported and felt they had received appropriate resources for their work. Interviews showed Chicago Survivors’ overall success at improving the lives of survivors of homicide victims, but interview participants noted certain program challenges, described below. Attempts to overcome these challenges may require additional resources.

Clients Served

According to administrative data, Chicago Survivors were notified of, and responded to, 520 homicides from January 2020 to September 2020, or 88.14% of all 590 Chicago homicides recorded during that period.[9] From those responses, the program served approximately 1,203 individuals.

Improvement in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

We analyzed pre- and post-test scores that measured PTSD symptoms and severity. Based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, the pre-tests showed before the program, 53 clients, or 55.8%, had a probable PTSD diagnosis. The post-tests showed after the program, 23 clients, or 24.2%, had a probable PTSD diagnosis. We could not determine, however, whether the program contributed to that improvement. The participants’ average PTSD severity score before the program was 35.8 and after the program, it was 22.4. Based on a validated measure of PTSD, 78% of participants responded to services and 56% had clinically meaningful improvement.

Supportive Counseling

All clients interviewed expressed satisfaction and appreciation for the services provided by Chicago Survivors. The clients indicated they learned valuable coping techniques from their specialists. Interviewees stated staff’s active listening skills were helpful, particularly in families that had been hesitant to communicate their feelings. The clients also felt that staff were reliable and highly motivated when addressing their needs. This reliability was particularly important when a homicide case remained unresolved.

Practical Assistance

The clients reported that practical assistance offered by the program such as clothing, food, bus passes, and gift cards was beneficial. Chicago Survivors also assisted families with relocation if they felt they were in danger at their current location. After families relocated, even to the Chicago suburbs, specialists continued to offer services, which was greatly appreciated by program clients.

Partnerships

Chicago Survivors partnered with many organizations throughout the city (e.g., hospitals, law enforcement, social services) to expand services for clients and to extend the program’s reach across Chicago. Partners expressed satisfaction with the communication and support of Chicago Survivors for their own organizations. Specifically, law enforcement emphasized the importance of Chicago Survivors’ services when police officers could no longer offer their help. Overall, Chicago Survivors plays an important role in assisting survivors of homicide victims and the program is well-received by partners in social service and law enforcement.

Program Recommendations

Based on the interviews, we offer the following suggestions to improve the Chicago Survivors program, while recognizing that these recommendations likely require additional resources to implement.

Increase Number of Staff Providing Direct Service

The clients, staff, and partners noted challenges due to the length of services provided by Chicago Survivors. However, staff noted that length of services cannot currently be extended, as the program operates with a limited number of staff to assist with the large volume of homicide cases and clients. Further, the intensity of services provided to clients can exacerbate the burden on limited staff. Always being on call for clients may also increase staff burnout. If possible, the number of staff should be increased to handle the large and intensive cases and clients in need of myriad services and supports. In addition, staff time is needed during the week to practice self-care, as needed.

Focus on Staff Well-Being and Recognition

All interviewees stressed the importance of addressing the staff’s emotional well-being because of the intense toll of their jobs. Some staff expressed the need for more opportunities to address self-care to avoid vicarious trauma and burnout. Although the program does provide some self-care opportunities, participants suggested increased staff retreats and self-care days instead of staff training, as most staff indicated they were well-trained and had many opportunities already to continue training. Additionally, it is recommended that staff’s work is recognized both within and outside of Chicago Survivors to remind staff of their importance. Examples of this recognition include expanding homicide survivor program funding throughout the state and taking moments to highlight staff successes and breakthroughs on a continual basis.

Improve Program Awareness and Knowledge

The clients and partners both indicated that knowledge of the program should be expanded throughout the Chicagoland area. Very few clients knew of the program before the loss of their loved one, and law enforcement outside of the Bureau of Detectives at the Chicago Police Department were rarely aware of the program, leading to challenges for crisis responders when working with patrol officers at homicide scenes. For example, some crisis responders noted that officers were rude or would not allow them to interact with families at the crime scene. One suggestion is for police department administrators to expand training and information on Chicago Survivors to patrol officers, new officers, and police administration. A community awareness campaign about the program through marketing (e.g., driver’s license plates, shirts, car stickers) also could be effective.

Enhance Agency Coordination

The staff and partners of Chicago Survivors expressed various challenges with agency coordination in part because of other organizations that provide similar homicide services in Chicago. This created confusion and stress for survivors who were unsure of which program’s services to accept. Therefore, Chicago Survivors should help to mitigate further victimization by broadening their coordination of homicide response to include more of the agencies that work in this space in Chicago (e.g., Institute for Nonviolence Chicago and Communities Partnering 4 Peace). Interviewees suggested that Chicago Survivors may serve as a strong central hub to dispatch and coordinate agency interaction with survivors due to its unique service model and wealth of experience, but they noted that this should be negotiated with the other organizations.

Increase Communication with Chicago Police Department

While some indicated the working relationship with Chicago Police Department had improved over time, staff and clients expressed frustration with perceived lack of updates on homicide investigations. In addition, the interviews revealed a lack of knowledge on how a homicide investigation works. Chicago Survivors should make efforts to address these challenges with the Chicago Police Department.

Improve Data Collection Policies and Procedures

Many Chicago Survivors staff described challenges with the program’s electronic case management system because of changes in and inexperience with the current technology. Also, interviewees indicated that staff members may classify their work time inconsistently, leading to inaccuracies in their data entry. This severely limited the type of analyses that could be conducted as part of this evaluation. If the existing system is used, staff require system training and oversight. Another recommendation is to frequently review data entry protocols with staff. Data entry improvements will allow for more advanced analyses in future evaluations and increase the feasibility of an outcome evaluation.

Future Directions in Research

Prior research indicates that gender roles can complicate the grieving process. For example, studies on traditional masculinity find that men struggle to grieve properly because they feel they need to repress their emotions.[10] As none of the clients interviewed in this evaluation were men, future research should specifically examine men’s coping mechanisms when participating in a survivor program. Additionally, future research should explore how race and socioeconomic status impact program participation. Finally, all the clients in this evaluation were survivors of a victim of gun violence. Future research should explore how survivor programs affect survivors of victims of other forms of violence, such as domestic violence or mass shootings.

  1. Levey, D., Fronius, T., Guckenburg, S., & Petrosino, A. (2016, Spring). What research is needed to help family survivors of homicide? Translational Criminology, (10), 13-15. https://cebcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/TC10-Spring2016.pdf ↩︎

  2. Van Denderen, M., de Keijser, J., Huisman, M., & Boelen, P. A. (2016). Prevalence and correlates of self-rated posttraumatic stress disorder and complicated grief in a community-based sample of homicidally bereaved individuals. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 31(2), 207-227. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260514555368 ↩︎

  3. Bastomski, S., & Duane, M. (2019). Losing a loved one to homicide: What we know about homicide co-victims from research and practice evidence. Center for Victim Research. https://nicic.gov/what-we-know-about-homicide-co-victims-research-and-practice-evidence ↩︎

  4. Masters, R., Friedman, L. N., & Getzel, G. (1988). Helping families of homicide victims: A multidimensional approach. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 1(1), 109-125. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.2490010108 ↩︎

  5. Horne, C. (2003). Families of homicide victims: Service utilization patterns of extra- and intrafamilial homicide survivors. Journal of Family Violence, 18(2), 75-82. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022831530134 ↩︎

  6. DeYoung, R., & Buzzi, B. (2003). Ultimate coping strategies: The differences among parents of murdered or abducted, long-term missing children. OMEGA-Journal of Death and Dying, 47(4), 343-360. https://doi.org/10.2190/QYTT-GC1X-MNLX-6WLU ↩︎

  7. Weathers, F. W., Blake, D. D., Schnurr, P. P., Kaloupek, D. G., Marx, B. P., & Keane, T. M. (2013). The Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5). U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, National Center for PTSD. ↩︎

  8. Baliko, B., & Tuck, I. (2008). Perceptions of survivors of loss by homicide: Opportunities for nursing practice. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 46(5), 26-34. https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20080501-02; Eliseeva, A. S. (2007). Meaning making after homicide: An exploratory study of experiences of people of color [Master’s thesis]. Smith College. ScholarWorks. https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/41 ↩︎

  9. Chicago Sun Times (n.d.) Homicides in Chicago: A list of every victim. https://graphics.suntimes.com/homicides/ ↩︎

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