Black and brown communities bear the brunt of gun violence and other forms of violence driven by structural racism and inequities. Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) are comprehensive, trauma-informed, culturally competent programs that connect at-risk, violently injured individuals to hospital- and community-based services. HVIPs support healing through a holistic approach that goes beyond medical treatment to address the individual’s social, emotional, and material needs. These programs are an evidence-based, equity-centered public health approach that disrupts the cycle of violence prevalent in Black and brown communities due to longstanding systemic inequities.

In 2019, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (NJOAG) invested $20 million dollars to strengthen HVIPs across New Jersey. The funding was used to launch seven new HVIPs and to expand the services offered by an additional two existing programs (the NJ Cohort). NJOAG also awarded funding to the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention to provide extensive training and technical assistance to the NJ cohort.

In 2022, the HAVI and its fiscal sponsor, Health Resources in Action (HRiA), received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to conduct a retrospective assessment of the NJ cohort. This research brief summarizes the main findings of the retrospective assessment.