9-24-2024 8:21pm

Governor Murphy, Attorney General Platkin Announce $14.5 Million in Violence Intervention and Prevention Grants Available for Community Organizations

Donnella Tilery Editor

TRENTON — Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced today that $14.5 million will be made available through a competitive grant process to support Community-Based Violence Intervention (CBVI) Programs throughout the state. Funding for this grant cycle will begin in 2025.

Since 2021, the Murphy Administration has invested nearly $55 million in CBVI programming. Funding for this initiative is provided through the federal American Rescue Plan funds and through the State’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget, primarily consisting of funds from the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Fund, which is dedicated to reinvestment in communities most impacted by cannabis criminalization. To date, the total commitment to community violence intervention, including CBVI, Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs, and Trauma Recovery Centers, now exceeds $115 million.

New Jersey’s CBVI programs use a public health approach to interrupt cycles of violence. Serving in communities and among populations associated with risk factors for exposure to violence, CBVI initiatives include a range of strategies:

street outreach led by credible messengers;
mentorship;
high risk intervention including de-escalation services;
safe passage for school-age youth in high crime areas; and
case management, counseling, and trauma support services for individuals who are at high risk for violence and/or victimization.

These programs are working. In the first quarter of 2024, CBVI entities funded by the Department of Law and Public Safety engaged nearly 1,000 individuals in one-on-one programming, including counseling, mentoring, and/or trauma recovery and support – services provided by trained professionals that are intended to facilitate the healing journey of individuals who have experienced bullying, abuse, family violence, assault, vicarious trauma or other forms of trauma and violence. Over this same time period, CBVI grantees spent over 1,200 hours organizing nearly 40 violence prevention events serving hundreds of individuals in their communities – from neighborhood cookouts to peace walks – in an effort to help bring individuals and communities together and raise awareness about violence and prevention strategies. CBVI providers have partnerships with over 40 schools around the state, providing safe passage work and other interventions focused on at-risk youth.

Violence intervention work at the community and grassroots level has been an integral part of Attorney General Platkin’s overall public safety strategy. In 2022, Attorney General Platkin created the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance (VIVA) to elevate and formalize violence intervention and victim services work within the Department. The CBVI program is administered by the Department and programmatically overseen by VIVA’s Office of Violence Intervention and Prevention (OVIP).

“There is no place for violence in New Jersey, which is why we have gone to great lengths to break harmful cycles and ensure our residents feel secure in their homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces. New Jersey’s groundbreaking violence reduction programs have already proven invaluable in our efforts to reduce violence and bolster our prevention framework,” said Governor Murphy. “I’m pleased to see the continuation of these important programs, and I commend both Attorney General Platkin and our community partners for their commitment to keeping our friends and neighbors safe.”

"Our violence intervention programming is a key part of our approach to reducing violent crime, combating gun violence, and increasing public safety. I am grateful for the Governor’s support and proud to continue these initiatives to make New Jersey safer for all of its residents,” said Attorney General Platkin. “The funding announced today means that we can deepen our investment in the essential work of the grass roots organizations that are breaking cycles of violence and stopping the harm and trauma that comes with it.”

“Our commitment to our grantees extends far beyond the provision of financial resources,” said Patricia Teffenhart, Executive Director of the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance. “VIVA’s Office of Violence Intervention and Prevention, through its individual organizational support and quarterly cohort convenings, identifies opportunities and challenges in the field and works to strengthen and support the community violence prevention infrastructure.”

“Our CBVI partners play a critical role in supporting our public safety infrastructure,” said Steven Campos, Director of OVIP. “And, working with our partners, we identify ways to capture the impact of their work, increase communities’ engagement in violence reduction strategies, and support those who have been impacted by violence. Over the last two years, since the creation of our Office, we have witnessed the continued maturation of the movement, and we look forward to continuing to work with our partners in our shared commitment to violence reduction throughout New Jersey.”

Continuing a change implemented during the 2024 grant cycle, the 2025 program puts a special emphasis and priority on violence intervention programs known as “tertiary services,” which are recognized as providing the most immediate benefit in reducing and responding to violence. The maximum grant award for tertiary services remains $750,000. Organizations that provide primary or secondary services may apply for up to $500,000.

With this new commitment of funds, Attorney General Platkin maintains the investment in and support of grassroots organizations doing this essential work. And this grant cycle, the Department is encouraging CBVI organizations to use grant funds to build their organizational capacity, including organizing staff development, building partnerships, securing upgraded technology, managing organizational assessments, and conducting trainings. This builds on a variety of efforts led by the Department since 2021 to support the infrastructure of the statewide CBVI program.

CBVI is critical to the State’s work in developing a continuum of violence prevention services, including prioritizing strategies to support at-risk youth and young adults, and street intervention services that are grounded in a public health approach to violence prevention.

CBVI Grant Opportunities

The Department of Law and Public Safety is now accepting applications from community service providers for CBVI work. Detailed information can be found in the Notice of Availability of Funds (NOAF) that that is being released to the public today.

The NOAF and associated grant documents can be accessed here.

The deadline for submitting a complete application to CBVI@njoag.gov is October 21, 2024. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for funding.

In an effort to assist candidates in applying for these funds, an optional application webinar will be held on October 2, 2024 at 11 a.m. Applicants must RSVP for the webinar by September 30, 2024. Anyone unable to attend the live version of the webinar may view it 48 hours later on the Department of Law & Public Safety “Grant Opportunities” webpage under the “SFY25 Community Based Violence Intervention Program (CBVI) NOAF.”

As explained in the NOAF, applicants can apply under one of two funding categories:

Tertiary Prevention (violence intervention) service organizations have an award cap of $750,000. Organizations seeking support for these services will identify strategies that attempt to intervene with those already engaged in violent behavior or at high risk of violence due to past victimization or as a result of retaliation. This funding will support organizations that provide intervention services like de-escalation and mediation between individuals and groups, outreach to high-risk individuals, safe passage services, and have “street team” or street outreach operations.

Primary Prevention or Secondary Prevention service organizations have an award cap of $500,000. These proposals will support violence prevention strategies that serve individuals who are at risk due to living in communities with high rates of community violence, or due to a risk factor like involvement in the juvenile justice system or having a family member who has been impacted by gun violence.

CBVI Background

The CBVI funding reflects a key component of the Murphy Administration’s efforts to tackle the causes of violent crime. Under Attorney General Platkin’s leadership, the CBVI program provides community service providers with funding for the development and implementation of violence intervention and prevention programming for communities impacted by higher than average rates of violence, with a focus on gun violence.

In 2024, the State’s CBVI grants were awarded to 29 community organizations in every region of the State, supporting prevention and intervention strategies that help communities reduce community violence by developing healing relationships among the groups and individuals who are at the center of gun violence.

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The Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance (VIVA) serves as Attorney General Platkin’s lead entity for victim assistance and violence intervention and prevention services within the Department of Law and Public Safety. Among its range of responsibilities is creating a statewide infrastructure for victim assistance and violence intervention and prevention services, and supporting the development of new initiatives and strategies in those areas. VIVA provides resources and support to community-based organizations that offer these services and helps develop a statewide strategy for the growth and standardization of services.