
CommUnityPeace Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP) offers support to people who have been impacted by gun violence.
Our goal is to provide trauma-informed services that help victims of gun violence avoid new and reoccurring injuries caused by gun violence.

what we do
If you or a loved one is a victim or gun violence, we can provide the following services at no cost:
Safety Planning
Our CommUnityPeace Coaches will work with you to develop a plan to increase your safety in order to prevent a future act of violence.
Case Management
We will work with you to develop a custom plan to meet your immediate physical and mental healthcare needs and long- term personal goals.
Relocation Assistance
Our team can connect you to housing services, temporary housing, and other relocation services.
What is Hospital-Based Violence Prevention?


Every year, Americans arrive at the hospital with violent injuries, often causing damage and trauma beyond the victim’s body. Gun violence is a significant public health issue that affects everyone’s safety. In 2021, more Americans were killed by guns than by car crashed.
The impacts of gun violence, both direct and indirect, place a huge burden on society, with millions of people experiencing the trauma of losing loved ones or in living in fear of being shot. Hospital-Base Violence Prevention Programs (HVIPs) like CommUnityPeace are designed to combat the revolving door of violent injury by embracing the public health approach.
Public health is the science of preventing injury, disease, and death, and promoting the health and well-being of people. The public health approach is comprehensive, bringing together experts from various fields to develop effective ways to improve health and wellness. Applying the public health approach to gun violence involves focusing on the root causes that contribute to gun violence such as racial disparities, inequality, poverty, and inadequate housing.
Policies and practices aimed at addressing these root causes have significant potential to reduce gun violence and improve individual and community health. Community violence intervention programs like CommUnityPeace are evidence-based solutions that prevent gun death and injury by addressing the underlying causes of violence. HVIPs work to identify and reduce individual risk factors and promote protective factors such as positive social supports, job readiness, and safe housing.
In 2021:
How Does It Work?
Intervention
Our program begins in the hospital. Coaches will meet beside with clients within 24 hours to offer assistance in response to a referral.
Care
Coaches offer intensive community-based case management services in the 12 months following injury to ensure clients are connected with the services they need to prevent violence from reoccurring.
Follow-up Services
CommUnityPeace is a part of a network of violence prevention programs across Allegheny County that work to coordinate care.
Addressing the Root Causes
HVIPs work to understand the root causes of the reoccurring violence and address inequality by building collaborative partnerships with communities and survivors of violence.
Who we are
Many people who have suffered violent injuries have deep distrust of mainstream institutions like healthcare and criminal justice systems. Using a trauma-informed approach, CommUnityPeace Coaches are in a strong position to build trust and rapport. CommUnityPeace Coaches are from the communities they serve and can quickly engage with patients, their loved ones, and community supports.
CommUnityPeace Coaches work with clients and their families to develop a plan for after their discharge that meets their immediate safety needs, provide services, and establish goals. The intensive care from CommUnityPeace Coaches promotes the physical and mental recovery of clients while also improving social and economic conditions.
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