Violence Prevention

The Violence Prevention Program aims to reduce violence throughout Allegheny County. To do this, we partner with other governmental, non-profit, neighborhood, and faith-based organizations. Our work demonstrates a coordinated response, which leverages the strengths of a wide variety of stakeholders.

Program History

With financial support from the Heinz Endowments, ACHD established the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) in Fall 2016. Our office is tasked with implementing the recommendations and action items in the report presented by the Public Health Commission.

In 2019, the OVP initiated Cure Violence Global (CVG) within Allegheny County by facilitating the first (CVG) team in the Wilkinsburg, Penn Hills and Homewood areas. This Cure team served the community for three years prior to the countywide expansion. Due to the progress made with the OVP Cure team, Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) and other counties across Pennsylvania committed to expanding CVG which relieves OVP, now known as the Violence Prevention Program (VPP) from housing CVG as of 2023.

The Public Health Approach to Violence

The Health Department’s Violence Prevention Program aligns with A Plan for Healthier Allegheny as well as the public health approach to violence. This approach looks at violence as a preventable consequence of a range of factors, such as adverse early-life experiences, or harmful social or community experiences and influences.

Our role in Allegheny County’s violence prevention ecosystem is to address the upstream approach to violence. While our community partners cover intervention strategies, ACHD’s principal focus is primary prevention and addressing social determinants of health as it contributes to violence reduction across the county.

Four Pillars of the Violence Prevention Program

  • Resource Center
  • Community Advisory Boards and Coalitions
  • Youth Advisory Boards
  • Mini Grants (contingent on funding availability)

Staff

 Ashley Blakeman
Violence Prevention Program Supervisor

Cathy Welsh
Violence Prevention Youth Program Coordinator
Parental and Youth Advisory Board Specialist

Breea Gray
Violence Prevention Program Coordinator

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