The National Network

Caught in Crossfire goes nationwide

Violence intervention programs like Caught in the Crossfire are a powerful way to stop the revolving door of violent injury in our hospitals. Engaging patients in the hospital, during their recovery, is a golden opportunity to change their lives and reduce retaliation and recidivism. The National Network of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (NNHVIP) brings together the best and most exciting programs to share knowledge, develop best practices, collaborate on research, affect policy change, and more.

Youth ALIVE! operates the Network's technical assistance clearinghouse, a resource for existing NNHVIP members as well as new and emerging programs, hospital staff, community-based providers, government officials, and other interested parties.

The Emergence of a Network

On March 2-3, 2009, Youth ALIVE! convened the first ever National Symposium of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs in Oakland, California with the goal of opening a dialogue on key program components and best practices and beginning to establish a national network of hospital-based programs.

At the end of the two days, participants decided to formally establish a network, the National Network of Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs, to expand and refine best practices, collaborate in research and evaluation, explore opportunities for funding program sustainability, identify opportunities to collectively impact policy, and re-convene annually. Through the working groups that were created at the Symposium and through future meetings, the National Network of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs continued to expand upon these key components and work toward developing best practices, and seek to bring new and emerging programs into the Network.

The Key Components of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs handbook captures the essence of the discussion generated at the initial National Network meeting. As expansion and replication of these programs continues nationwide, the hope is that this document will be helpful for individuals and organizations that are considering starting their own programs, as well as emerging programs and established programs across the country.

Find Out More

If you are interested in becoming a part of the Network or inquiring about technical assistance for new hospital-based violence intervention programs, please visit www.NNHVIP.org or contact Anne Marks, NNHVIP Training Director.