Giving Compass' Take:

• Crain's Chicago Businesses explores how nonprofits and business leaders can help approach the epidemic of violence in the city, from hiring practices to investing in mental health reform.

• How can this advice apply to other areas around the country? What can we do to strengthen private-public partnerships in addressing violent crime?

• Here's how one Chicago community managed to get a handle on violence after a rash of shootings.

What can businesses do to stop the cycle of violence? Crain's Chicago asked leaders of several nonprofits that work with at-risk youth for a prescription.

• Be specific, be a partner, be patient. Specify what re-entry workers can do to make business comfortable hiring them. That could include hires securing a certain number of hours in job skills training and counseling, and participating in restorative justice and healing programs. Businesses need to partner with nonprofits skilled in re-entry work to determine criteria, invest in programs and help build safety nets, because these neighbors will fail a few times before we see significant retention and growth.

• Be committed to building capacity and investing in minority-owned businesses. If you can't/won't hire re-entry workers, build capacity and partner with minority-owned vendors. Minority-owned businesses hire minorities at much higher rates than other businesses.

• Be a voice and a funder. Solutions and services to reduce Chicago's violence require sustained public- and private-sector funding. Challenge public-sector leaders to put their money where their mouths are if they want lasting violence reduction, healing and peace.

• Support mental health services. It is in our collective best interest to act now.

Read the full article about businesses stopping the cycle of violence in Chicago by Dr. Gary Slutkin at chicagobusiness.com.