Building Strong Programs
This resource collection brings together frequently asked questions, technical assistance providers, trainings, recorded videos, ARCvi Quick Guides, and practical tools and templates designed to help programs strengthen planning, service delivery, partnerships, implementation, and continuous improvement.
Other ARCvi resource collections are also relevant for building strong programs. These include:
- The Evidence for research summaries, evaluation findings, and guidance on understanding what the evidence says about CVI.
- Working Together for resources on partnerships, referral networks, coalitions, public safety ecosystems, and coordinating services across organizations.
- Supporting the Frontline for information on frontline practice, supervision, wellness, safety, and career development of credible messenger staff.
What You’ll Find Here
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FAQs
Straightforward answers to the questions practitioners ask most often when starting or running a CVI program.
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Quick Guides
Short, practical overviews you can read in minutes and put to use the same day.
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Academies & Training Programs
Structured learning opportunities that build skills for outreach workers, supervisors, and program leadership alike.
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Technical Assistance Providers
Organizations offering hands-on support, coaching, and expertise to strengthen your program’s design and daily operations.
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External Research & Literature Collections
Research, reports, and curated readings for going deeper on violence intervention theory and practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Academies & Training Programs
CVI Leadership Academy, Crime Lab, The University of Chicago
The Crime Lab offers the CVI Leadership Academy, a five month program focused on leadership and management practices for senior CVI leaders across the U.S. The Academy’s curriculum modules cover a) personal and organizational leadership, b) strategic decision making, c) community engagement, d) building healthy communities, e) community violence intervention strategies, and f) operations and management. The Crime Lab at the University of Chicago designs, tests, and scales data-driven responses to community violence in the areas of CVI, criminal justice reform, gun violence, policing, and youth violence. The Crime Lab is comprised of experts in the fields of data and behavior science, policing, community violence intervention, government and more.
Metropolitan Peace Academy, Chicago
The Metropolitan Peace Academy is a Chicago-specific training program offered by the Metropolitan Peace Initiative, a division of the Metropolitan Family Services. The Metropolitan Peace Academy offers the Metropolitan Peace Academy Trainings—a management and supervision 6-month fellowship, the Southland RISE Collaboration—a cross-training for hospital and street outreach workers, and the Community Training Academy to increase the capacity of police officers to work with neighborhood residents and stakeholders.
Philadelphia Peacekeepers Institute, Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Peacekeepers Institute is a partnership between the Office of Public Safety and The Roca Impact Institute. The Peacekeepers Institute is an 8-week professional development institute for frontline workers focused on Roca’s Rewire CBT model—a cognitive behavior theory approach for promoting wellness and healing from trauma for both high-risk individuals and staff.
Roca Impact Institute
Roca Inc. offers the Roca Impact Institute, an intensive training and coaching program for frontline workers, practitioners, and supervisors. The Roca Impact Institute is based on their Rewire CBT approach of cognitive behavior therapy training for working with high-risk youth.
Temple University’s University College, Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD)
University College, Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD) is Temple University’s hub for professional development, program evaluation, and technical assistance in the healthcare, social work, public policy, nonprofit, and public sectors. For community-based organizations across Pennsylvania and beyond, Temple CEPD offers a large catalog of online and in-person non-credit courses, workshops, and certificate programs that help strengthen organizational management, resource development, and community-based practice. Relevant offerings include training in grant writing, budgeting for grant writing, fundraising, community organizing, and nonprofit leadership.
- CEPD’s Nonprofit Resources Course Catalog
*NOTE: While these courses are offered through Temple University Harrisburg, they are offered online and open to all, regardless of location. - CEPD’s Non-Credit and Continuing Education Course Catalog
Violence Prevention Professional Training, Healthcare Alliance for Violence Intervention
The Healthcare Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) is comprised of 50 members forming a collective to advance and support hospital-based or hospital-linked violence intervention programming nationwide. The HAVI offers the Violence Prevention Professional (VPP) Training program for frontline HVIP workers who have been working at their hospitals for at least six months. The training is five full days of in-person training with the following curriculum available to review.
Technical Assistance Providers
Community Based Public Safety Collective
The Community Based Public Safety (CBPS) Collective is comprised of Black and Brown experts across the US from small nonprofits and community-led organizations that focus on community-based public safety, violence prevention, and ending mass incarceration. The CBPS Collective focuses on professionalizing the field of CVI through training and technical assistance, TA partners, policy, advocacy, and evaluation.
Community Tool Box
The Community Tool Box is a free, online resource hub housed at the University of Kansas that focuses on supporting efforts to build healthier communities and social change. The website also includes a Troubleshooting Guide for common problems in engaging in community work, as well as the free service of Ask an Advisor for brief personalized responses about community work such as planning, assessment, evaluation.
Healthcare Alliance for Violence Intervention
The Healthcare Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) website provides a range of information and resources for HVIPs and CVI programs. The HAVI provides technical assistance to support emerging and established HVIPs in areas of such as sustainability, violence prevention professional certification, supervising training, one-on-one consultation, and more.
Local Initiative Support Corporation
The Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) is a national nonprofit organization that works as an intermediary to provide local organizations with access to capital, connecting partners to resources and each other, and help design and implement solutions. The Safety and Justice program area of LISC offers technical assistance and trainings in areas of planning, implementation, and evaluation.
National Community Based Violence Intervention Prevention Initiative
The National Community Based Violence Intervention Prevention Initiative (CIVIPI) is a partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, the Local Initiative Support Corporation, and Everytown. The CIVIPI Field and Resource Center provides information on evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs and a place to request technical assistance and/or trainings.
National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform
The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) focuses on criminal justice reform, violence reduction, and youth development across the U.S. The NICJR works in areas of advocacy, organizational development, research, and consulting. The areas of technical assistance and training include gun violence reduction strategy training, positive youth development, strength-based probation/parole services, credible messenger training, and emotional intelligence training.
PA Peace Alliance
The PA Peace Alliance is a statewide resource and community of practice supported by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for organizations working to prevent and reduce violence across Pennsylvania. The site connects violence prevention and intervention practitioners with peers, training and technical assistance, subject-matter experts, funding and learning resources, and practical tools to strengthen programs and organizational capacity. The initiative is supported through PCCD’s partnership with WestEd’s Justice and Prevention Research Center and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).
Temple University Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD)
Temple CEPD provides technical assistance, research, and evaluation support to help organizations strengthen their programs and capacity over time. Staff have experience in evaluation design, program development, performance measurement, and capacity building for nonprofits and social service organizations. They are currently concluding their three-year evaluation project related to PCCD’s Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) program. Organizations can engage Temple for short-term or longer-term support with program design, data systems, outcome evaluation, and broader organizational learning. CEPD staff have deep familiarity with performance reporting for PCCD and other funders.
Urban Institute
The Urban Institute is a nonprofit that combines research and data analysis, community engagement, strategic advising and assistance, program evaluation, data tools and modeling, and more. The UI provides strategic advising and assistance on evidence-based programs, community engagement, research and data analysis, program evaluations, and policy decisions.
Urban Peace Initiative, Los Angeles, CA
The Urban Peace Initiative works in CVI and justice transformation work through building community-based public safety infrastructure, coalition advocacy, and training and technical assistance. The core pillars of the UPI are capacity-building, training and technical assistance, research and evaluation, advocacy and organizing, and policy. Areas of technical assistance and training include CVI workforce standards and approach, professional development, and strategy development with city agencies.
WestED
WestED is a nonpartisan research, development, and service agency that offers support in areas of technical assistance, professional learning, policy analysis, and research and evaluation. The Justice and Prevention Research Center at WestEd provides support in the areas of school safety, violence prevention, justice systems, and public health. WestED, in partnership with LISC, is also the current training and technical assistance provider for Pennsylvania violence prevention programs funded by PCCD.
External Research & Literature Collections
Campbell Collaboration
The Campbell Collaboration is comprised of a global team of researchers and policy makers who review and provide summaries on up-to-date research in areas of economics and social policy decisions. The Crime and Justice Coordinating Group (CJCG) of the Campbell Collaboration focuses on areas of crime and delinquency reduction and improving justice systems and provides Systematic Reviews on CVI-related research.
Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy
The Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy (CEBCP) is housed within the Department of Criminology, Law, and Society at George Mason University. A component of the CEBCP is to provide Systematic Reviews on CVI-related research.
Cochrane
Cochrane is a network of nonprofit health researchers, professionals, patients and carers focused on providing evidence-based health information. The Cochrane Library is a collection of databases published through Wiley aimed at providing independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making.
Community Based Public Safety Collective
The Community Based Public Safety (CBPS) Collective is a group of CVI practitioners, trainers, and technical assistance providers working together to strengthen neighborhood leadership in CVI and public safety by investing in the education, advocacy and training of community based public safety practitioners and organizations. Their website includes a resource library on CVI-related literature, webinars, and other resources.
Community Tool Box
The Community Tool Box is a free, online resource hub housed at the University of Kansas that focuses on supporting efforts to build healthier communities and social change. The Community Tool Box website includes a page on Databases of Best Practices in areas including child and youth development, substance use, violence prevention, and youth violence.
Local Initiative Support Corporation
The Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) is a national nonprofit organization that works as an intermediary to provide local organizations with access to capital, connecting partners to resources and each other, and help design and implement solutions. The Safety and Justice program area of LISC includes a Resource Library with CVI best practices related literature.
Urban Institute
The Urban Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan research organization that combines research and data analysis, community engagement, program evaluation, data tools and modeling, and more. The Justice and Safety area of the Urban Institute has a library in the area of CVI-related Research and Evidence literature.