New $1 Million Grant Program Will Fund Public Health Models for Gun Violence Prevention

Thanks to the Office of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell for sharing this news with Westwood Minute.

BOSTON – As part of her ongoing efforts to bolster community-based gun violence prevention work and recognizing gun violence as a public health concern, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has launched the Public Health Models for Gun Violence Prevention Grant Program, a $1 million program to fund culturally-competent, trauma-informed, and evidence-based proposals that strengthen the capabilities of public health organizations and professionals to implement and expand effective gun violence prevention programs.

“To address the public health crisis caused by gun violence, we must equip public health professionals with the tools they need for prevention and intervention,” said AG Campbell. “I am proud to launch this new grant program, which will help expand community-based public health approaches to gun violence prevention, especially those that effectively serve disproportionally impacted communities.”

Applications are being received until 5:00 p.m. on November 15, 2024. Interested applicants may access the grant application on the AGO’s Grant Applications Portal. The Office will host a virtual informational webinar on Monday, October 28, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. , that is open to all prospective applicants.

Interested applicants may access grant information, including the full Request for Proposal, and application instructions at the AGO’s Current Grant Opportunities website. Questions regarding this grant opportunity may be submitted to AGOgrants@mass.gov, only until 5:00 p.m. on November 8, 2024. When submitting question(s), please include “Public Health Models for Gun Violence Prevention Grant Program” in the email subject line. Questions received and answers provided regarding this grant opportunity will be posted on the AGO’s Grant Applications Portal.

Examples of eligible proposals include initiatives that embed gun violence prevention information in public health settings such as hospitals, schools, and community-based nonprofits; training programs for public health organizations on specific state gun safety-related laws; evidence-based training programs on how mental health, suicide prevention, intimate partner violence and substance use relate to gun violence prevention; and community violence interruption initiatives that incorporate a public health approach such as cognitive behavioral therapy.

The new grant will support interventions or initiatives that are delivered in public health or related settings, including, but not limited to clinical settings, community health centers, violence interruption programs, school health services, Veteran's Affairs centers, telehealth services, and others. The programs may be specifically dedicated to gun violence prevention or may be generalized violence prevention or interruption programs that include curricula on gun violence prevention and gun safety.

In Massachusetts, in an average year, approximately 257 individuals die and another 648 are wounded by gun violence, costing the state $3.5 billion annually, in addition to inflicting senseless suffering and trauma on survivors, their families, and communities. Furthermore, such violence disproportionately impacts Black individuals, who are 4.1 times more likely than White individuals to die by gun violence and 20 times more likely to die by gun homicide in Massachusetts.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an Advisory on Firearm Violence, declaring it a public health crisis and identifying recommendations to reduce gun violence, including implementing and supporting community violence prevention programs. Recognizing the connection between public health and public safety, the AGO’s new grant program is aligned with a community-based approach to gun violence prevention.

Successful grant applicants will receive awards in varying amounts of up to $100,000 for a maximum period of 24 months, with an anticipated start date of February 17, 2025. Municipalities and nonprofit organizations across Massachusetts, including hospitals and entities operating violence interruption programs that use or seek to use public health models to address gun violence prevention are eligible and encouraged to apply.