LIFE AFTER HATE

Life After Hate (LAH) has set forth the following strategic goals in order to better serve the populations we assist.
LAH will establish Exit USA as the premier disengagement & deradicalization program in the nation.
To accomplish this, the organization will develop innovative initiatives to meet the changing needs of the field; this goal correlates directly to the organization's goal to create and provide judgment-free forums for informing and engaging with extremists and/or their families and loved ones.

Since 2011, Life After Hate has been at the forefront of the national strategy to interrupt violence committed in the name of ideological and/or religious belief by providing supportive services for individuals looking to leave hate groups. In addition to these direct services, the organization supports family members who have loved ones involved in VE.
Life After Hate provides this support in a multitude of ways, the first of which is to provide the most current and up-to-date outreach, primarily in virtual spaces. All of the services provided are directly informed by rigorous academic research and cultural competency training.
Over the next three years, LAH will prioritize high standards of professionalism and ethics and demand the same for the field at large. Additionally, the organization will grow the program's capacity, in part, by providing an expanded specialist role for those who have made the journey out and wish to mentor those looking to leave.

Life After Hate was founded by former leaders (Formers) of radicalized neo-Nazis, skinheads, and other Violent Far-Right and extremist groups in North America.
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. The perspectives and experiential knowledge of what it means to be a Former have informed the approach used in all LAH services. However, this alone is not sufficient to address the complex psychosocial aspects of violent far-right extremism and the disengagement process. Because of this, Life After Hate employs a team of professional case managers to work in direct services with our program participants.

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 extremism, including its governing Board of Directors composed of eminent professionals in the violent 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 licensed social workers, 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 mentorship. 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.