CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — The City of Champaign is partnering with Acclivus, Inc., a Chicago-based nonprofit specializing in community violence intervention, to hire a new street outreach team that will work to prevent and respond to gun violence in the community.
The partnership, funded through a $450,000 Blueprint contract, will bring five full-time positions to Champaign: a Site Director, a Case Manager, and three Outreach Workers. The Case Manager and Outreach Worker positions each pay $49,000 per year, while the Site Director role offers an estimated salary of around $59,000 per year, depending on experience. All positions include benefits and are currently posted on the Acclivus job board.
The new hires will work alongside community partners to de-escalate conflicts, support victims of violence, and connect individuals and families with services. The team will also play a role in prevention and relationship-building within high-risk neighborhoods.
Jorge Elvir, Community Relations Manager for the City of Champaign’s Equity and Engagement Department, said the initiative is part of the city’s broader Community Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint, a multi-sector effort involving health, education, social services, justice, faith-based, and community organizations. “This is a homegrown approach designed to be led by people who know our community and care deeply about its future,” Elvir said. “We’re building a coalition of residents and professionals who understand the dynamics on the ground and can respond in real time to prevent violence before it happens.”
Acclivus was selected because of its established hiring infrastructure and national experience in violence interruption. Elvir emphasized that the goal is for Champaign’s program to eventually transition to local, community-run leadership once the framework is in place. “Acclivus gives us the scaffolding to get started,” Elvir said. “The long-term vision is for this work to be sustained and led by the Champaign community itself.”
The city issued an RFP in 2022 seeking local organizations to provide street outreach services, but no organizations submitted proposals to provide those services – no local agency had the necessary infrastructure and experience in street intervention at the time.
In addition to the five full-time positions, Acclivus will offer part-time stipends for community members who assist in outreach, bringing more economic investment into the area through staffing and local operations.
Elvir brings extensive experience in public safety, education, and crisis response to his role. Before joining the City of Champaign, he worked for a non-profit organization called Caminos, which served unaccompanied minors referred to them through the Office of Refugee and Resettlement and Homeland Security. “That experience taught me the importance of systems that wrap around people—especially those who have been through trauma,” he said. “This effort will include not just prevention but also support for victims and families affected by violence.”
The contract with Acclivus will run for one to two years as the City and its partners establish the framework for sustained locally driven violence prevention. Once hired, the new team will join the city’s Blueprint partners—which include organizations such as YouthBuild, First Followers, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Champaign County—in a coordinated, collaborative approach to reducing violence and strengthening community connections.
“Every step of this plan is about building capacity within the community,” Elvir said. “This work is vital to continue building trust and safety to Champaign.”
