Safer Communities Programs
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has placed a high priority on creating safer communities through supporting violence prevention and intervention programs. Millersville University partners with federal, state, and local entities to collaboratively implement research projects, creating safer communities with a focus on trauma-informed practices.
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Partner Organizations
Pennsylvania Dept. of Human Services, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS). The goal of OMHSAS is to transform the children's behavioral health system to a system that is family and youth guided, implement services and policies to support recovery and resiliency in the adult behavioral health system, and assure that behavioral health services and supports recognize and accommodate the unique needs of older adults.
Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) serves as the justice planning and policymaking agency for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. By bringing together a wide range of experts in the fields of criminal and juvenile justice, victim services, and related professions, PCCD coordinates the collective examination of problems, proposes solutions, and evaluates the impact of those solutions.
Heal PA is a multisector, multidisciplinary coalition developed and sponsored by the Governor's Office of Advocacy and Reform (OAR). The coalition is organized into a variety of diverse action teams focused on implementing the Trauma-Informed PA Plan.
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Research and Resources
Trauma-Informed Resources
HHS, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation: Trauma-Informed Approaches Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice to Build Resilience in Children and Families
SAMHSA, Practical Guide for Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach
Prevention Institute's Adverse Community Experience and Resiliency: A Framework for Addressing and Prevention Community Trauma
U.S. Dept. of Justice's Vicarious Trauma Organizational Readiness Guide for Victims' Services
Vicarious Trauma Organizational Readiness Guide for Victim Services (ojp.gov)
On Being podcast Bessel van der Kolk - Trauma and Resilience Land in Our Bodies
Trauma and Resilience Land in Our Bodies | Bessel van der Kolk | The On Being Project
Gun Violence Data and Resources
Pennsylvania Dept. of Health, Enterprise Data Dissemination Informatics Exchange (EDDIE)
Everytown for Gun Safety, State and County Firearm Deaths and Injury Data
Pennsylvania Dept. of Health, Pennsylvania Violent Death Reporting System (PA-VDRS) VDRS (pa.gov)
PCCD/IUD, Cost of Non-fatal Firearm Injuries in Pennsylvania https://www.pccd.pa.gov/criminaljustice/GunViolence/Documents/Cost_of_Nonfatal_Firearm_Injuries_in_Pennsylvania_2016-2021.pdf
Pennsylvania State Police, Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) System Home (pa.gov)
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) and Prevention Resources
SAMHSA's Violence Prevention Resources
Violence Prevention Resources | SAMHSA
U.S. Dept. of Justice's Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative Implementation Checklist
COMMUNITY BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION INITIATIVE IMPLEMENTATION CHECKLIST (ojp.gov)
U.S. Dept. of Justice's webinar Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Webinar Series: Evidence-based Theory and Research on CVI Part I
U.S. Dept. of Justice's webinar Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Webinar Series Part 2: Place-based Approaches to CVI
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Webinar Series: Place-based Approaches to CVI (youtube.com)
U.S. Dept. of Justice's webinar Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Webinar Series Part 3:
CVI in Practice Part 3
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Webinar Series: CVI In Practice - YouTube
U.S. Dept. of Justice's webinar Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Webinar Series Part 4: Community-Centered Evaluation
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Webinar Series: Community-Centered Evaluation (youtube.com)
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Program Staff
The Safer Communities Program is housed in the Division of University Relations and Strategic Initiatives. Program staff includes:
Sabrina Fritz – Department Secretary, Safer Communities
Phone: 717-871-4178 | | Sabrina.Fritz@millersville.eduDenise Muller, M.P.H., M.A. – Program Director, Safer Communities
Phone: 717-871-4085 | | Denise.Muller@millersville.eduVictor DeSantis, Ph.D. - Principal Investigator, Vice President for University Relations and Strategic Initiatives
Phone: 717-871-5955 | |Victor.DeSantis@millersville.edu