New Haven Community Health Violence Prevention Group (NHCHVPG)
Background
The initial group in convened in September 2011 because of an interest in the intersection between
health and community gun violence in our neighborhoods. Improving the community’s response to gun
violence across all ages was the initial focus of the group’s work. The subsequently agreed to place a
primary emphasis on prevention using public health definitions of prevention.
Through word of mouth the group has grown from 8-10 members to over 30 attendees at some
meetings with wide represent ation of a cross section of organizations and programs- neighborhoods,
nonprofits, city government, academic and medical. The group has continued to grow and meet to: 1)
identify opportunities to collaborate and support each others’ effort s to address violence in the city; 2)
to launch our own initiatives as interest and resources allow; and 3) information exchange so we learn
about what’s happening in the city to address violence and now 3) develop a strategic action plan to
prevent violence in the city of New Haven.
The group continues to be informal in its structure accountable to no one entity dictating our mission
but collectively agreeing how we should go forward. . The group is co-facilitated by the New Haven
Family Alliance and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program building on their
previous partnerships in addressing gun violence in the city.
Aims
1. Mutual support for efforts of members of the group and others working on preventing and reducing
violence in the city
2. Sounding board and advisory group for any project members or others would like to propose and
get feedback on and support for. Specific projects launched by the group; two specific projects
include:
 Community Resiliency Project – joint effort of a subgroup of members and the Clinical Scholars
Program working with the Newhallville and West River neighborhoods
 Youth Haven – a complementary project to the Community Resiliency Project also a partnered
project of the New Haven Family Alliance and Clinical Scholars Program and funded by NIH to
bring the youth voice into action planning to prevent violence
 Support of the 5K Motion Project to raise awareness among girls of the implications of getting
involved in protecting others who have been engaged in violence
3. Identification of policies that need to take place to prevent and respond to violence
4. Information exchange around violence prevention and intervention initiatives in New Haven
5. Development of a comprehensive and coordinated city-wide strategy to prevent violence