Formative Evaluation of a Pediatric Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program

The project will conduct a formative evaluation of a child- and adolescent-focused hospital-based violence intervention program (HVIP). Nationally, several HVIPs exist, but most focus on the recovery needs of older adolescents and adults. There is currently no well-defined, evidence-based HVIP model addressing the needs of youths younger than 18 years of age who have experienced community-based violence. Without these services, the safety risks to youth are great, and include re-victimization, escalation of violence, and adverse psychosocial outcomes. The Violence Intervention Program (VIP) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia provides victim services to youth and their families following community-based interpersonal violence victimization. These trauma-informed services include intensive case management to provide emotional support, trauma psychoeducation, and navigation to youth- and family-serving systems to address recovery needs.

To address the urgent need for youth-focused victim services, this project will define the resources and activities required to effectively support the physical and psychosocial recovery of victimized youth and their families. Once defined, this model can be generalized and disseminated nationally to enhance services to a prevalent, yet underserved, victim population. Using rigorous qualitative methods, the research team will analyze novel existing program data and conduct semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, including program staff, community partners, and youth and their families to systematically collect information leading to the development of essential resources including (1) A program logic model, (2) Implementation manual, (3) Tools to support implementation fidelity and trauma-informed supervision, and (4) A comprehensive dictionary of victim-identified recovery needs and measurable goals. This work is preparatory for future rigorous outcome evaluations of youth-focused victim services.

"Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law," and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR 200.210(a)(14). CA/NCF