Sacramento Violence Intervention Program (SVIP)

Violence in our local communities is an all too common reality. At WellSpace Health we’re working to counter this crisis through the Sacramento Violence Intervention Program (SVIP).

SVIP is a free voluntary program offered to youth who are 15-26 years old, who have sustained injuries due to community violence such as shooting or stabbing, and have been treated at Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center, UC Davis Medical Center’s Trauma Center or other area hospitals.

SVIP was designed in partnership with Kaiser in response to young men of color repeatedly coming to the trauma center due to serious injuries sustained by violence in the community. Kaiser and WellSpace Health sought to address re-injury and retaliation and has maintained a success rate of more than 90% since the program’s inception.

SVIP was built on the Caught in the Crossfire service model to provide support through mentorship with others who have had similar life experiences. Intervention Specialists work with the youth and their families for a year to support them and their goals including enrolling in an education program, finding employment, group support and mental health services. SVIP added a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist to the team in 2018 which allows for quicker connection to culturally competent therapeutic services to support a reduction of trauma symptoms leading to PTSD.

Our program is one of the founding partners of the National Network of Hospital Violence Intervention Programs and is the host program for last week’s Healing Justice Alliance Conference in Sacramento. This conference brought national and international Hospital Violence Intervention Programs staff together with policy advocates to continue to learn best practices and new movements in violence prevention and intervention.

Referrals to SVIP are made primarily through Kaiser and UCD Trauma Centers, however youth aged 15-26 who have sustained injuries due to community violence can be referred to SVIP by contacting the SVIP coordinator at South Valley Community Health Campus.