An estimated 1,900 pennsylvanians DIE each year from gun violence, with even more injured survivors

This $4,000,000 Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.045 Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative) will expand evidence-based Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs) in at least two high-gun violence Pennsylvania jurisdictions currently underserved by these programs. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), partnering with the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) and the Justice & Prevention Research Center (JPRC), will provide funding and training/technical assistance to establish new HVIP sites and support a statewide HVIP community of practice. This project aims to prevent cycles of violence, reduce future crime, and improve public safety in Pennsylvania communities disproportionately impacted by gun violence. The award period is from Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2027.

Hospital-based violence intervention programs (hvips), as part of a community violence intervention (CVI) ecosystem, provide integrated, trauma-informed care to prevent cycles of violence and reinjury, with research showing they can reduce future violence and crime, benefiting individuals and communities. An analysis of county-level gun violence data, recent research on non-fatal firearm injuries, and the availability of hvips reveals that, despite recent investments by the commonwealth in hvip and CVI infrastructure significant gaps and disparities in access to these lifesaving programs persist in many historically underserved PA communities. With this need and opportunity in mind, the PA commission on crime and delinquency (pccd) is partnering on this project with the health alliance for violence intervention (havi) and westeds justice & prevention research center (jprc). Grant funds will be used to expand evidence-based hvip program models in at least two local PA jurisdictions with high and increasing gun violence rates, currently underserved by hvips. PAS proposed project would provide funding and training/technical assistance (TTA) supports for selected local hvip sites as well as statewide TTA through a new hvip community of practice. A state-level hvip/cvipi working group will oversee the project, providing updates to state leadership and exploring sustainable funding and policy recommendations to create a blueprint for supporting and sustaining hvips through policy and funding levers.