Trenika J. Williams, MD MS completed her residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center in 2024. She has consistently led efforts in advocacy and community programming for the advancement of health equity, primarily focusing on mentorship, pipeline programming, community health education, and violence intervention. Dr. Williams has a particular interest in prehospital medicine and emergency medical services. She aims to work within an urban academic medical center providing care for underserved populations, disenfranchised youth, and those most greatly impacted by systemic inequities. She aspires to equip her community with both knowledge and systemic change through needed policy implementation that will result in increased health in the community as a whole. Dr. Williams was elected to the Gold Humanism Honor Society at the Geisel School of Medicine in 2021 and inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society in 2022. She was selected as a Community Champion by the University of Chicago’s Urban Health Initiative in 2022 on basis of her proven record of leadership in community engagement and honored with the University of Chicago Emergency Medicine’s Community Engagement Award in 2024. Dr. Williams served on the National Board of Directors of the Student National Medical Association as a Regional Director. She currently serves on the board of the MedCEEP (Medical Careers Exposure and Emergency Preparedness) Initiative, a community-based nonprofit designed to increase the number of youth on the South Side of Chicago who possess lifesaving health emergency response skills. Dr. Williams earned her medical degree from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in 2021.
Trenika J. Williams, MD, MS
Commonwealth Fund Fellow
Effectiveness of the BPHC Youth Safety Task Force in Addressing Community Violence through a Public Health Framework
Background:
Youth violence is a persistent public health issue in the United States, where homicide ranks as the third leading cause of death among individuals aged 10–24. In response to a rise in gun-related youth arrests, the City of Boston launched the Youth Safety Task Force in 2022. This interagency initiative, including representatives from the mayor’s office, police, schools, housing authority, community-based organizations, health workers, and human service agencies, aims to prevent and respond to youth violence using a public health approach. The Task Force’s Community Safety Team has contributed to Boston’s reputation as one of the safest major cities in the country.
Effective citywide violence prevention requires coordinated action among diverse stakeholders. However, communication across sectors—especially when navigating confidentiality, legal constraints, and organizational silos—remains a significant barrier. This challenge is particularly acute in violence intervention work, where the timely and appropriate exchange of sensitive information can be critical.
This project seeks to explore the communication practices, barriers, and facilitators within Boston’s Youth Safety Task Force, offering insights into the dynamics of cross-sector collaboration to enhance youth safety.
Objectives:
- To examine current communication practices and challenges among Youth Safety Task Force stakeholders
- To use key informant perspectives to develop recommendations for effective, coordinated communication within a community violence prevention ecosystem
Methods:
- Conducted a literature review of communication strategies in U.S.-based community violence intervention programs.
- Observed weekly Community Safety Team meetings discussing individual youth cases.
- Carried out semi-structured interviews with task force members to assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to communication.
Results:
Key findings emphasized the need for intentional relationship-building to foster trust and rapport among stakeholders. Informants also provided formative recommendations to enhance data-sharing, collaboration, and community-centered strategies to violence intervention.
Future Directions:
- Engage community members through focus groups to inform cross-sector coordination.
- Continue key informant interviews to deepen insights.
- Disseminate findings to inform practice and policy.
Preceptor:
Kevin M. Simon, MD, MPH – Boston Public Health Commission
