The Injury and Violence Prevention Center (IVPC), a collaborative team of experts from the School of Medicine and the Colorado School of Public Health, has leveraged federal funding into community-wide benefits. This initiative follows U.S. Representative Jason Crow’s visit to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, where he announced Community Project Funding for two key initiatives at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Building on this momentum, the center has distributed funding to boost local violence prevention efforts and nurture local community collaborations.
The IVPC takes a comprehensive approach, recognizing that injury and violence are urgent public health issues that stem from complex, interconnected factors. By emphasizing root causes, such as safe and stable housing, strong social support, and access to positive life experiences, the center aims to strengthen entire communities and prevent violence before it occurs.
“We recognize that violence is not a series of isolated incidents,” says Ashley Brooks-Russell, associate professor of community & behavioral health and director of the IVPC, “but a complex problem that affects people, schools, and entire communities.”
Working closely with the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative (FIPI), the IVPC is distributing funding to organizations that use culturally responsive approaches and have embedded trust and history in their communities.
As FIPI’s Collaboration and Partnerships Coordinator, Renu Gupta-Fitzgerald, explains,
“These organizations can best reach people where they are, largely because their staff reflect of the communities they serve. This enhances their ability to address trauma and the conditions that shape health and ensure that layers of support—legal advocacy, behavioral health, and cultural connection—are available, not just after harm occurs but well before it can even take root.”
Spotlight on Community Organizations
At the core of this effort are the local organizations dedicated to disrupting cycles of harm and creating safe, supportive environments. Each group contributes to transforming communities by providing access to valuable resources and services and facilitating educational, community-building, and leadership development opportunities. These resources reflect different facets of violence prevention and community well-being.
Homies Unidos - Denver
Location: Denver, Colorado
Mission: To break the cycle of violence and promote peace through gang intervention, violence prevention, and youth empowerment.
Purpose: Works with youth and families to provide alternatives to gang involvement, reduce community violence, and create pathways for positive growth.
Services Offered: Gang intervention services, education, violence prevention workshops, youth leadership development, advocacy, and community-building programs.
Learn more at homiesunidosdenver.org
Life-Line Colorado
Location: Denver, Colorado
Mission: To restore and empower communities and families impacted by addiction, mental health challenges, and incarceration, promoting a healthier, more sustainable life.
Purpose: Provides a framework of recovery support, education, mentorship, and resources for individuals and families to foster resilience and stability.
Services Offered: Recovery support, behavioral health services, family support, re-entry assistance, peer mentoring, and educational resources.
Learn more at life-linecolorado.org
Make a Chess Move (M.A.C.M.)
Location: Denver, Colorado
Mission: To inspire growth through co-facilitated learning experiences using chess and other tools, promoting strategic thinking, leadership, and personal development in diverse communities.
Purpose: Equips youth and adults with skills, resources, and environments needed to foster problem-solving, critical thinking, and confidence to lead change within themselves and their communities.
Services Offered: Chess-based learning experiences, youth empowerment programs, strategic thinking workshops, and leadership skill-building sessions.
Learn more at makeachessmove.org
By supporting these local efforts, the IVPC recognizes that these initiatives are a critical component of a public health approach that addresses the social, economic, and environmental factors underlying violence. As these organizations continue delivering services to their communities, the IVPC remains committed to learning from their on-the-ground experiences and advancing collaboration between research and practice partners.
In early 2025, IVPC will highlight each program funded through the center’s community-directed funding. These stories will detail the work each organization is doing to disrupt cycles of harm and foster safe, supportive communities.
