Holding the Aftermath: A Survivor-Centered Systems of Care Model for Homicide Response

Background
Homicide survivorship is associated with profound biopsychosocial-spiritual consequences that unfold across multiple and often fragmented systems of care and response. In the aftermath of violent loss, survivors frequently navigate criminal legal processes, health and mental health services, victim assistance programs, workplaces, educational institutions, and informal community supports, often with limited continuity across these sectors. This fragmentation may compound traumatic bereavement outcomes by increasing barriers to care, disrupting recovery trajectories, and placing additional logistical and emotional burdens on survivors.

Methodology
This presentation introduces a survivor-centered systems of care framework developed through a conceptual synthesis of trauma-informed principles, socioecological theory, and community-engaged approaches to post-homicide response. The framework is designed to interrogate fragmentation across systems and to organize pathways for multilevel intervention development. Particular emphasis is placed on reciprocal relationships among individual, relational, organizational, community, and structural systems over time.

Findings
The proposed model identifies four interlocking domains essential to post-homicide response: (1) immediate stabilization and safety, (2) continuity across systems of response, (3) longitudinal traumatic bereavement support, and (4) systems accountability and workforce readiness. Rather than locating recovery solely within the individual survivor, the framework conceptualizes healing as shaped by dynamic interactions across multiple systems of care and response. This model positions systems fragmentation as a potentially modifiable mechanism influencing bereavement outcomes and long-term wellbeing.

Implications
This framework has significant implications for the development of multilevel interventions, cross-sector workforce training, and systems redesign following violent loss. By centering survivor voice, continuity of care, and institutional accountability, the model offers a translational pathway for strengthening post-homicide systems response. Future research should examine systems fragmentation as an intervention target and test whether improved continuity across sectors reduces traumatic bereavement burden and promotes long-term recovery.