For her three-part series on the health effects of rising violent crime in Merced County, reporter Ana Ibarra interviewed victims and family members struggling with pain and raw emotion. Here she shares a few of the reporting lessons she learned along the way.

Community groups in Merced County, where ongoing violence has taken a heavy toll, are pursuing a hands-on approach to building safer and healthier neighborhoods. Some host community workshops and resource fairs; others walk the streets late at night in a call for peace.

As Merced County in California's Central Valley grapples with a rising tide of violence over the past few years, local behavioral health clinicians are paying closer attention to PTSD. The county has recorded homicides in record numbers over the past two years.