Healthy Communities for Youth: Preventing Youth Violence in Richmond and Beyond
Official title: CE21-005 - VCU Healthy Communities for Youth: Evaluation of Violence Prevention Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Community Levels of Youth Violence
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11624201 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A community-centered program to reduce youth violence in Richmond, VA and similar communities by pairing youth voices, hospital-based support, and capacity-building for local groups.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | September 29, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,199,995 |
| NIH project number | 6U01CE003379-05M002 |
| Project ID | NIH-11624201 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants include African American adolescents and youth who have experienced violence-related injuries or are engaged with community prevention programs in Richmond or similar settings.
✕Less likely to help
Some youth may not experience immediate changes in violence exposure or outcomes during the project period.
What this research studies
This project builds a National Center of Excellence to implement and evaluate a comprehensive youth-violence prevention plan at the community level. It combines participatory approaches with Youth Voices, a culturally responsive curriculum for African American teens, and the SEED Method for collaborative action planning to address inequities. It also provides a hospital-based intervention called Emerging Leaders with brief violence intervention, wrap-around case management, firearm safety counseling, and youth psychoeducational workshops. Additionally, the initiative offers education and technical assistance to community organizations to expand grant-writing and resources for youth programs. The overall aim is to reduce youth violence by integrating community, health, and stakeholder collaboration.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, communities could see fewer violent incidents among youth and stronger support networks for youth development.
How similar studies have gone: Previous community-based violence prevention efforts with multi-component approaches have shown potential, though results vary by context.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sullivan, Terri N — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Sullivan, Terri N
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.