Life After Hate

Life After Hate is committed to helping people leave the violent far-right to connect with humanity and lead compassionate lives.

It envisions a world that allows people to change and contribute to a society without violence.

Since 2011, Life After Hate has been at the forefront of the national strategy to interrupt far-right violence committed in the name of ideological and/or religious belief providing supportive services for men and women looking to leave hate groups, education and outreach, academic research, and cultural competency training.

Provide exit services to meet growing demand.

Raise awareness of drivers to and pathways out of hate and extremism.

Build rigorous evidence-based solutions to address the growing threat of violent far-right extremism that position the organization as a leader.

Life After Hate was founded by former leaders (formers) of radicalized neo-Nazi, skinhead, and other extremist groups in North America, who today are solely committed to addressing violent far-right extremism through a lens informed by experiential knowledge, personal growth, and professional training.

The organization has unique insights about violent far-right extremism and the demanding mental and emotional process to not only disengage, but also to deradicalize. Being a former is not the only requirement to become an expert on the complex psychosocial aspects of violent far-right extremism and ways in which to combat it; being a Former shapes this expertise.

Decades of personal experience and growth are complemented by extensive professional development and training as well as academic instruction in social work, mental health, and other related fields.

The organization’s work is further bolstered through strategic partnerships with leading subject matter experts and organizations from around the world focused on understanding and addressing violent far-right extremism, including its governing Board of Directors composed of eminent professionals in the violent far-right extremism space, research, and management.

Life After Hate is a leader in the violence intervention community. We are the first organization in the U.S. that counters violence by intervening at the source: Helping individuals exit hate groups and online hate spaces. Since our founding in 2011, Life After Hate has expanded its services to include family members of individuals who are involved with the violent far right or are disengaging.

A central part of our mission is our innovative approach to interventions. Using a multidisciplinary team model combining formers and mental health practitioners, we help individuals identify what they need to leave hate and violence and set and manage their goals to restore their lives–this includes a combination of outside referrals, skill building and peer-to-peer interventions. Individuals working to understand their journey in hate and violence often seek the guidance of those who have lived those experiences. Sometimes the best way out is with help from those who have gotten out.

We believe that shame is not an effective tool to inspire change. Our approach addressing underlying risk factors to disarm violence is evidence-based and supported by research. Ultimately, our direct-service work combating violent extremism helps establish a safer and more resilient nation. Individuals who do not disengage from hate groups or hateful online spaces are more likely to commit acts of violence. They are also likely to contribute to a toxic online environment that encourages others to violence.

In the most recent quarter of 2021, Life After Hate received more than 60 requests for services; 28 individuals completed intake forms and our staff completed 70 meetings with 13 of these clients. In that same period, we held more than 250 meetings with our current caseload (nearly 60 clients). This work is labor-intensive, and nearly all our clients are “high-need,” meaning they’ll require on average 4-6 weeks of service.

A big part of our strategy also includes building a network of mental health practitioners who can work with our clients where they live, pro bono or at a reduced rate. In 2022, we aim to train at least 40 professionals so that they are culturally competent and prepared to meet the very specific needs of our client base.