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Lynn Lewis, MSW, APSW

Director of 414Life
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lynn Lewis is an Advanced Practice Social Worker who earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. With more than 20 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to serving youth facing significant challenges, along with their families and communities. Her expertise spans juvenile justice, residential treatment, academic social science research, mental health, and program management.

Lynn serves as Director of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s 414Life program, which uses a public health approach to prevent and interrupt retaliatory and conflict-driven gun violence in Milwaukee. She leads a team of Violence Interrupters, Outreach Workers, Hospital Responders stationed at Froedtert Hospital and other area hospitals, as well as a Community Engagement Coordinator and Program Operations Manager.

In 2020, Lynn spearheaded Milwaukee County’s first Credible Messenger Pilot Initiative. Credible Messengers are experienced, transformative mentors who work closely with families, communities, and leaders to prevent violence and address neighborhood trauma. Through this effort, she fostered a unified culture among five grassroots agencies, creating an environment of respect, trust, and collaboration. This experience reinforced her belief that Credible Messengers serve as vital bridges for restoring trust within communities of color and affirmed that reform and redemption for individuals with lived experience can profoundly influence the trajectory of youth and young adults—all within a public health framework for violence prevention.
Currently,

Lynn leads Milwaukee’s first collective Critical Response protocol, advancing a coordinated approach to community violence prevention and intervention. Her work strengthens trust and collaboration among grassroots agencies and key stakeholders, focusing on reducing gun violence through a unified public health strategy. The ultimate goal is to empower credible community members to serve as agents of change, restoring hope and stability in neighborhoods most affected by violence.

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