Presenter Profile
Michael N. Levas, MD, MS
Medical College of Wisconsin
mnlevas@mcw.edu
Dr. Michael N. Levas is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Emergency Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he serves as Vice Chair of Respect and Belonging and Medical Director of Project Ujima, a hospital-based violence intervention program. He is nationally recognized for his leadership in pediatric injury prevention, health equity, and trauma-informed care. As Principal Investigator on multiple federally funded studies—including an NIMH R01 examining long-term PTSD risk in violently injured youth using machine learning and neuroimaging—Dr. Levas has built a robust research portfolio focused on youth violence, emergency department-based interventions, and system-level approaches to trauma response. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, including more than 20 specifically addressing advocacy, injury, and violence prevention. Dr. Levas also serves as Associate Director of the Comprehensive Injury Center and holds national leadership roles with the Injury Free Coalition for Kids and the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention, advancing multidisciplinary approaches to violence prevention and community health.
Presentations
From Prevention to Promotion: Advancing Your Academic Career Through Your Injury Prevention Efforts
Maneesha Agarwal, MD, FAAP
Lindsay D. Clukies, MD, FAAP
Michael N. Levas, MD, MS
Kathy W. Monroe, MD, MSQI
An academic career in pediatric injury prevention is rewarding as it has a direct impact on children and can result in many lives saved. Yet many early-career faculty struggle to see how their injury prevention efforts—whether in advocacy, program implementation, education, clinical work, or research—can contribute meaningfully to academic promotion.
This interactive workshop is designed to bridge that gap. Faculty leaders who have successfully navigated the promotion process will offer practical guidance and candid insight into how injury prevention work can be strategically aligned with institutional promotion criteria.
Participants will learn to recognize the value of their full scope of contributions, even those that may not traditionally “count” in academic culture. We’ll explore how to position injury prevention activities within teaching, service, and scholarship portfolios—and how to translate these efforts into language that resonates with promotion committees.
Topics will include: • Key similarities and differences in academic promotion criteria across institutions. • How to “play the game” by your institution’s rules . • Strategies to build your CV beyond publications—through leadership, community partnerships, mentorship, and policy impact. • Tapping into national networks like Injury Free to support your case and increase visibility.
Participants will engage in reflective exercises and small-group discussions to identify their own goals, assets, and barriers. Everyone will leave with tailored action steps to help them integrate promotion planning into their everyday work—and to advocate for broader recognition of injury prevention as an essential academic contribution.
1. Describe common promotion pathways and how they apply to injury prevention work.
2. Identify local and national resources and mentors to support their promotion journey.
3. Develop personalized action items that align injury prevention efforts with academic advancement.
An Analysis of a System Change: Implementing Trauma-Informed and Evidenced-Based Practices in Injury Prevention
Savannah Olsen, MSW, APSW
Maria Beyer, MPH
Rada Drca, MA, LPC
Daysi Garcia, MBA
Michael N Levas, MD, MS
Project Ujima, a hospital-based violence intervention program affiliated with Children’s Wisconsin, provides comprehensive trauma-informed services to youth impacted by community violence. As part of a federally funded initiative to expand gender-responsive, trauma-focused interventions, Project Ujima integrated two evidence-based programs (EBPs)—Voices: A Program of Self-Discovery and Empowerment for Girls and A Young Man’s Guide to Self-Mastery (AYMG)—into its existing service framework. While theoretically aligned with the program’s trauma-informed mission, implementation revealed tensions related to system readiness, staff engagement, and curriculum fit. This study explores facilitators and barriers to EBP implementation, with the goal of informing sustainable, context-responsive practice.
A qualitative narrative design was used to explore staff experiences with implementation. Eight EBP training sessions were delivered in early 2022 to 50 participants, including five Project Ujima staff. Four of these staff later participated in semi-structured interviews, alongside two leadership team members. Interview topics included perceptions of the EBPs’ purpose, alignment with existing program culture, training experiences, and implementation processes. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using a hybrid inductive-deductive coding approach. Triangulation was conducted by evaluators from Children’s Wisconsin and Wraparound Milwaukee.
Staff expressed differing levels of clarity regarding the rationale for integrating Voices and AYMG. While leadership articulated alignment with trauma-informed care, frontline staff reported confusion stemming from limited communication and historical resistance to structured programming perceived as “research-based." Implementation was challenged by a lack of shared decision-making and unclear role expectations during group facilitation. Shifts in responsibilities and limited onboarding for new staff contributed to inconsistency in group structure and delivery. Initial training sessions were viewed as informative but overwhelming, with limited opportunities for practical application. Staff valued informal supports but noted the absence of systematic refreshers or guidance for new facilitators. Despite this, staff demonstrated adaptability by modifying delivery to engage youth, balance curricular demands with group dynamics, and remain responsive to trauma-related needs. Despite these constraints, Project Ujima staff delivered a total of 244 hours of curriculum instruction to 47 youth, with groups held twice yearly. Sessions were co-facilitated by Crime Victim Advocates and Mental Health Professionals, with adjustments made for inclusive delivery across genders. Project Ujima also provided transportation and meals to support participation and safety.
Integrating structured EBPs into established, flexible trauma-informed systems like Project Ujima requires careful attention to alignment, communication, and workforce readiness. While gender-responsive curricula offer important enhancements, successful implementation hinges on engaging frontline staff early, reinforcing training through ongoing support, and adapting content without compromising core principles. Findings underscore the need for transparent leadership, shared ownership of program goals, and cross-agency collaboration to ensure that EBPs are both effective and sustainable in complex, community-based service environments.
1. Identify key facilitators and barriers to implementing trauma-informed, evidence-based practices within an established youth violence intervention program.
2. Describe strategies for aligning structured curricula with existing program culture, staff capacity, and youth needs in community-based settings.
3. Apply lessons learned from implementation to inform future efforts in sustaining gender-responsive, trauma-informed interventions in multidisciplinary systems