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Community Engagement |
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Programming |
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Reducing violence and health disparities by establishing and fostering relationships with people in the communities being affected. |
Translate research to develop and coordinate a multi-level systems-based intervention for violence prevention and intervention in the state of Nebraska. | |||
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Research |
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Education and Training |
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| Community driven and systems-based research on the causes, consequences and solutions to interpersonal violence, and evaluation of existing community interventions. | Increase the capacity of community organizations, the general public and prevention specialists across Nebraska through education, training and outreach. |
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Policy and Advocacy |
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| Analyze existing and pending policies relevant to the goals of NeCVIP at the federal, state, and local level, and provide advocacy for a public health approach to violence prevention. |
Over the past decade there have been numerous dedicated individuals working tirelessly to promote safety and prevent violence in Omaha through numerous community and academic programs, policies, and initiatives. These efforts have resulted in a decrease in homicides to the lowest rates ever in Omaha, however, have not eliminated the devastation caused by all types of violence in Nebraska.
Recognizing the need for a cohesive approach, city and state leaders are advocating for a public health approach to reducing violence in Nebraska. The Nebraska Collaborative for Violence Intervention and Prevention (NeCVIP) is collaboration between the UNMC College of Medicine/Department of Surgery and the UNO School of Criminology and Criminal Justice that combines a criminological and medical perspective to reduce gun violence and support victims of violent injury. The NeCVIP uses a public health approach to address the underlying factors that contribute to violence, built on community assets and culture, and systematically apply data and science to ensure effective outcomes.
The NeCVIP augments the criminal justice system’s efforts to reduce violence through enforcement, while building and evaluating additional solutions of prevention, intervention, and enforcement and reentry strategies for juvenile and adult justice. Any one of these without the others is insufficient in providing safety and justice for youth, families, and communities most vulnerable to violence.
Why is Violence a Public Health Issue?
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Together, we can break the cycle of violence in our community.
Mission
The NeCVIP is dedicated to the development, implementation, and evaluation of cross-disciplinary, solution-focused programming to reduce violence and strengthen the health and safety of all Nebraskans.
Meet the NeCVIP Team
Co-Director of NeCVIP
| Dr. Evans is a trauma surgeon at Nebraska Medicine/University of Nebraska Medical Center and medical director of Encompass Omaha and Dusk to Dawn. She has invested most of her career in violence prevention and intervention while working in Omaha. After years of seeing young individuals injured by violence, she decided to tackle this public health issue from a medical point of view. |  |
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Gaylene Armstrong, PhDGaylene Armstrong, PhD, is Director and Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She also serves as the Co-Director for the Nebraska Collaboration on Violence Intervention and Prevention, an effort in conjunction with the UNMC College of Medicine, Department of Surgery and Nebraska Medicine to reduce gun violence in Nebraska. |
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Mark Foxall, PhDMark Foxall, PhD, is a Community Service Associate in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Dr. Foxall serves on numerous boards and committees and is nationally recognized as a leader in jail management. He has received several honors and awards including the Director’s Award for Outstanding Contributions in Law Enforcement – Executive Office for United States Attorneys, United States Department of Justice.
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Dr. Burt is a licensed psychologist and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation, and assistant professor in Pediatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She serves as a consultant to the NeCVIP, where her expertise in the psychological effects of trauma creates a trauma-informed care approach to working with victims of violence. |
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Ashley Farrens, MSN, MBA,RN Ashley Farrens is the violence supervisor at Nebraska Medicine and coordinator of the Dusk to Dawn program. She is passionate about providing supportive care to victims of violence by connecting patients with medical and community resources to navigate a safe recovery after injury. |
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Ashley Raposo, MPHAshley is a statistician for the Department of Surgery with a focus on violence prevention and intervention. She uses her understanding of risk factors and long-term health outcomes of violence to evaluate the program and tell the "statistical story" of our participants. |
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Community Engagement
Community engagement is a crucial part of the NeCVIP activities. The NeCVIP actively searches for ways to cultivate community partnered programming and research to address violence. Together with our community, the NeCVIP aims to address the underlying social and economic inequalities that drive interpersonal violence.
Programming
NeCVIP aims to translate research to develop and coordinate a multi-level systems-based intervention for violence prevention and intervention in the state of Nebraska. Current programming includes:
Dusk to Dawn
This 2 ½ hour hospital based youth violence prevention program begins in the trauma bay at Nebraska Medicine, where the youth relive the life of a young man, Roberto Gonzalez, from his birth at UNMC through the events that claimed his life at the young age of 20. A trauma surgeon from Nebraska Medicine guides participants through the drastic procedures done in an attempt to save Gonzalez’s life. In the very trauma bay where Gonzalez died, participants will see firsthand the devastation caused by a single gunshot wound. During the program, youth are shown realistic images of injuries caused by violence, and the instruments doctors use to save someone’s life. Participants will reflect on their own lives, values and dreams, and how violence steals from life. Participants will also explore the power of emotions and poor choices. The program will teach youth to recognize risky situations and how to problem solve. Participants will also identify protective factors to create a plan to utilize their support systems.
To learn more: https://www.nebraskamed.com/about-us/dusk-to-dawn
Encompass Omaha
Encompass Omaha is a hospital-based violence intervention program that helps victims of violence heal from their physical and emotional trauma by empowering them with skills, services and opportunities for recovery. The goal is to ensure victims of violence who are hospitalized because of their injuries return to their communities, make positive changes in their lives, and strengthen others affected by violence.
To learn more: https://www.nebraskamed.com/encompass
Research with Impact
NeCVIP Research Projects
The NeCVIP conducts community driven and systems-based research on the causes, consequences and solutions to interpersonal violence. Researchers also evaluate existing community interventions. NeCVIP research projects fall within the following domains:
- Community driven research on the causes and consequences of interpersonal violence
- Assessment of approaches to firearm violence prevention and intervention
- Evaluation of existing programming in violence prevention and intervention
Dissemination of Research Findings
Results of NeCVIP research is disseminated primarily through publication in peer reviewed literature. Publications appear in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of medicine, trauma, epidemiology, public health, criminology, and public policy. Research results are also disseminated through conferences, oral presentations and specialty meetings.
Recent publications include:
Reidelberger, K., Raposo-Hadley, A., Greenaway, J., Farrens, A., Burt, J., Wylie, L., Armstrong, G., Foxall, M., Bauman, Z., Evans, C. Perceptions of Violence in Justice-Involved Youth. Surgery Open Science, 2021. Perceptions of violence in justice-involved youth - ScienceDirect
Visenio, M., Snyder, B., Giddings, S., Kunkel, T., Evans, C., Farrens, A., Burt, J., Armstrong, G., Foxall, M., Wylie, L., Bauman, Z., Raposo-hadley, A. Defense, Disrespect, and #Deadly: A qualitative exploration of youth violence and follow-up of a hospital-based youth violence prevention program. Journal of Qualitative Criminology, 2021. Defense, Disrespect, and #Deadly: A Qualitative Exploration of Precursors to Youth Violence Informed Through Hospital-Based Violence Prevention Program Follow Up · 2022 | Volume 11, Issue 2 (qualitativecriminology.com)
Snyder, K.B., Raposo-Hadley, A., Evans, C., Farrens, A., Burt, J., Armstrong, G., Garman, J., Wylie, L., & Foxall, M. Defense, Disrespect, and #Deadly: A qualitative exploration of precursors to youth violence informed through hospital-based youth violence prevention program follow-up. The Journal of Qualitative Criminology and Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.21428/88de04a1.ba7bc0c9 [doi.org]
Education and Training
The NeCVIP faculty play important roles in education UNMC and UNO students, and members of the community of Omaha, in violence prevention and intervention, issues of violent injury, and research and evaluation methods of violence.
Courses offered at UNMC include: trauma informed care in healthcare, internship in violence intervention, impact of violence on the community of Omaha, Stop the Bleed, gun safety.
Policy and Advocacy
The NeCVIP works on a continuing basis with policymakers in the Legislature, state and city agencies to identify, implement and evaluate innovate violence prevention and intervention policies and programs. NeCVIP faculty brief policy makers on the most recent research and seek to translate results of research into policies and programs to benefit all Nebraskans through violence prevention and intervention.