Community Violence Intervention (CVI) 2021 Webinar Series

    August 15, 2022

    In April 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration announced historic investments in community violence intervention (CVI) efforts to combat the gun violence epidemic. Please see the White House CVI Fact Sheet to learn more.

    CVI Webinar Series

    As part of the Administration’s efforts to support communities seeking to implement or expand CVI efforts, subject matter experts will present on CVI-related topics in a series of webinars. This webinar series is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Education, and the White House Domestic Policy Council.

    Part 1: Evidence-Based Theory and Research on CVI

    In this webinar, presenters discuss immediate steps communities can take to reduce community violence as well as the social determinants of health (e.g., norms, policies) that can lead to inequities in violence. Within this framework, presenters define CVI, including the theory and research behind specific CVI models such as street outreach, violence interrupters, group violence interventions, and hospital-based interventions, as well as the role of the community and law enforcement within CVI.

    Speakers include:

    • Dr. Maury Nation, Professor, Department of Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University
    • Dr. Shani Buggs, Assistant Professor, Violence Prevention Research Program, University of California, Davis
    • Dr. Deborah Gorman-Smith, Dean and Emily Klein Gidwitz Professor, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, University of Chicago

    View the recording and presentation slides to learn more.

    Additional Resources:

    Part 2: Place-based Approaches to CVI

    In this webinar, presenters discuss community violence intervention efforts in the context of a place-based approach. Framed in the social ecological model, place-based approaches can reduce and prevent community violence and crime by enhancing and maintaining the physical characteristics of settings where people come together in order to foster social interaction, strengthen connectedness, and increase collective efficacy (e.g., shared trust among residents and willingness to intervene). Presenters will highlight the importance of community engagement within place-based approaches and discuss how incorporating community revitalization efforts, such as increasing green spaces and addressing abandoned buildings can reduce and prevent community violence.

    Speakers include:

    • Dr. Catherine Bradshaw, Professor; Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development, School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia
    • Meisha Mitchell. AICP, PP, Vice President, Camden Community Partnership
    • Donna Griffin, President, Community Capacity Builders
    • Dr. Eugenia C. South, Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

    View the recording and presentation slides to learn more.

    Additional Resources:

    Part 3: CVI In Practice

    In this webinar, leading CVI experts share their on-the-ground experiences on how to implement CVI strategies within communities. They share insights on what communities should consider in order to effectively implement and sustain CVI efforts.

    Speakers include:   

    • Anthony Smith, Executive Director, Cities United
    • Fatimah Loren Dreier, Executive Director, Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI)
    • Anne Marks, Executive Director, Youth ALIVE!
    • Ray Winans, Executive Director, Detroit Life is Valuable Everyday (D.L.I.V.E)

    View the recording and presentation slides to learn more.

    Additional Resources:

    Part 4: Community-Centered Evaluation

    In this webinar, leading experts in program evaluation discuss partnerships and evaluation, including process and outcome evaluations, and ways to partner on evaluation in order to understand whether CVIs are working to reduce community violence. The webinar also covers the benefits of Participatory Action Research, a community-centered strategy that involves partnering with a researcher in an iterative process of program development and improvement. The webinar will include information about a wide range of research and evaluation tools and resources for practitioners.

    Speakers include:

    • Dr. Caterina Roman, Professor, Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University
    • Dr. Barbara Israel, Professor of Health Behavior & Health Education, Director of Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center, University of Michigan School of Public Health
    • Roseanna Ander, Founding Executive Director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab
    • Eduardo (Eddie) Bocanegra, Senior Director, Heartland Alliance READI Chicago

    View the recording and slides to learn more.

    Additional Resources:

     

    Additional Resources

    National Criminal Justice Assocation CVI Fact Sheet

    Community Violence Intervention | COPS Office