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Violence Prevention Update
NCDPS Office of Violence Prevention Newsletter | Sept 2025
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Welcome to NC OVP’s Violence Prevention Newsletter! Our team will use this newsletter to share our updates and announcements to keep the NC violence prevention ecosystem connected and
informed. In this month’s issue, you will find:
NC Violence Prevention Conference – Register for our second annual conference happening October 27th-28th, 2025!
Upcoming Events – Discover additional opportunities to learn, connect, and collaborate to continue pushing the work forward.
Partnership Spotlight – Recap and view photos from the three regional meetings that OVP hosted this summer!
Resources for Action – Review policy and legislative changes happening in the state, including a new executive order for NC OVP and a statewide Gang Prevention and Intervention
Taskforce.
Program Spotlight – Learn about how one county is leveraging diverse partnerships and collaboration to implement a comprehensive community violence prevention approach.
Questions? Contact our team at
ovp@ncdps.gov
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Conference Registration Closes Tomorrow!
Mark your calendars for the second annual North Carolina Violence Prevention Conference happening
October 27-28th, 2025 in Raleigh!
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In addition to a plethora of engaging and inspiring conference activities, registered attendees will have the
exclusive opportunity to schedule one-on-one sessions with an evaluation consultant from the Southern Injury Prevention Institute! Consultations will be held
free of charge throughout the conference.
The final deadline to register for the conference is Friday, September 19th!
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Hotel Room Block Available
All registered attendees can reserve a hotel room at the Hilton Raleigh North Hills for a discounted rate of $131/night. Use the direct booking link to reserve your room or call the hotel
directly at (919)-872-2323. Reference the Group Code OVPAC to ensure your reservation is booked at the group rate. The deadline to reserve your discounted hotel room is
10/6/25 or until full.
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There's Still Time to Become a Conference
Sponsor or Exhibitor!
Sponsorship and Exhibitor Requests Close October 3rd!
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Become a Conference Sponsor
Sponsorship support helps bring together experts, advocates, and community leaders to share strategies and drive meaningful change. Check out our
2025
conference sponsorship packet to learn about sponsorship benefits and the different ways that your organization can get involved to support the conference.
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Be a Conference Exhibitor
Join us as an exhibitor for $150. Exhibitors receive
one full conference registration, along with the opportunity to connect with a highly engaged audience, increase visibility of your work in a high impact setting, showcase resources, and more. Sign up today!
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Thank You to Our Conference Sponsors!
We are excited to share two of our official sponsors for this year’s Violence Prevention Conference:
Fund for a Safer Future and Liberty Generation!
We thank them for their commitment to supporting this event and the investment in creating safer, more resilient communities in North Carolina.
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NC OVP Webinar: Laying the Groundwork: Why Evaluation Matters and How to Plan for It
September 24th at 11:30am EST
In this session, we will explore why evaluation is essential at every stage of program development and how it can improve outcomes and guide better program planning. Participants will
be introduced to an evaluation framework for designing and implementing meaningful evaluations. Whether you are new to evaluation or looking to strengthen your existing approach, this webinar will equip you with the foundational knowledge to effectively plan
program evaluations.
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Healing from Trauma After Violence: An Online Support Group for Survivors of Gunshot, Stabbing, and Physical Assault
Meetings are held at the same time on the second Wednesday of each month.
This group is intended for adults 18 years of age or older who live in North Carolina and have experienced violent crime (i.e., gunshot, stabbing and physical assault survivors). The group
is open to victims/survivors no matter how recent or how long ago the incident occurred. These confidential, virtual gatherings provide an opportunity for victims/survivors to connect with other victims/survivors and to give and receive support from each other.
Facilitators aid the process of mutual support and provide information relevant to processing after a violent crime and navigating the legal process. View the support group’s flyer for more information and to register.
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North Carolina Community Violence Prevention Regional Meetings
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This summer, NC OVP hosted a series of community violence prevention meetings across the middle, eastern, and western regions of the state. These gatherings brought
together violence prevention professionals to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and strengthen regional alignment in the effort to address community violence.
Participants had the opportunity to learn about ongoing initiatives in neighboring counties, engage in meaningful networking, and exchange practical strategies
and insights. The meetings featured a dynamic mix of presentations, panel discussions, and group activities designed to deepen understanding and spark innovation.
Through facilitated discussions, attendees explored the core components of an effective ecosystem. In small group sessions, they worked collaboratively to identify
actionable next steps tailored to building and enhancing efforts within their own counties.
A highlight across all meetings was a hands-on breakout session where participants visually mapped their ideal violence prevention ecosystems. These diagrams serve
as powerful tools to:
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Identify gaps in current efforts
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Highlight existing strengths
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Guide future cross-sector collaboration
We encourage communities to use these visual tools to support ongoing dialogue and drive the development of more integrated, effective local strategies to address
community violence.
Thank you to all the attendees, presenters, and panelists whose engagement and insights made these meetings such a success!
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Executive Order 21: Advancing Safety in North Carolina through the Office of Violence Prevention and the Gang Prevention and Intervention Task Force
On August 19th, Governor Josh Stein signed an Executive Order to continue the OVP, reaffirming the Office’s role in continuing to reduce violence and its associated harms. The office will
continue to highlight initiatives to strengthen firearm safety, expand cross-sector partnerships across the state, and provide training and education to move forward evidence-informed strategies to address and prevent violence.
Additionally, the
Executive
Order reestablishes the Community Advisory Board and established a new Gang Prevention and Intervention Task Force. This new task force will conduct a multitude of activities,
including but not limited to, education, prevention, and intervention efforts focused on youth and justice-involved individuals; support and training for law enforcement; and enhanced coordination among community, local, and state federal partners.
The Task Force chairs are currently doing an open call for membership nominations. Those interested in being on the task force should complete the interest form linked below. Nominations
are being accepted now through Sunday, September 21st. Please send any questions to
gang_taskforce@ncdps.gov.
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Revised Requirements under the North Carolina Victims Compensation Act
On July 9th, 2025, lawmakers extended the reporting window for individuals to be eligible for the Victim Compensation Program.
Victims of violent crime who have reported the incident to law enforcement within 6 months of the crime occurring are now eligible for the program. The previous policy required victims to report the crime within 72 hours of the incident.
To learn more about eligibility requirements for the Victim Compensation Program, click the ‘Victim Compensation Program’ under Billing FAQ’s on the
Office
of Violence Compensation: Provider Resources Webpage.
Learn more about the legislative change to the Victims Compensation Act on
Page
10 of Senate Bill 429, enacted by the General Assembly of North Carolina.
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Buncombe County’s Community-based Public Health Response to Violence (CPrV©) Strategy
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In 2022, the Buncombe County Justice Services Department (BCJS) began laying the groundwork for a comprehensive community violence prevention and intervention approach. Through implementation
of the Community-based Public Health Response to Violence (CPrV©) strategy, BCJS is working towards building community cohesion and collective efficacy to prevent violence. CHASM, a non-profit directed by CPrV© model founder Abdul Hafeedh
bin Abdullah, has been providing technical assistance, model fidelity guidance, coaching, and expertise on how to scale CPRrV© infrastructure across the broader Buncombe County.
The strategy integrates key principles of community-based, community-led public health thinking and methodology in partnership with a multitude of sectors. To ensure that community voices
and perspectives guide the implementation of programming, the Asheville Buncombe Institute for Parity Achievement is conducting community-based participatory action research and evaluation activities. Additionally, the Center for Participatory Change co-facilitates
the Multisectoral Stakeholder Coalition alongside BCJS, where partners are engaged to collaborate on integrated violence prevention strategies. The Coalition brings the community together alongside county and city leadership to discuss community issues to
provide real-time solutions to system and interpersonal violence.
Leveraging multiple key partnerships in the county and surrounding region, BCJS employs evidence-based practices that are geared towards training community health workers as violence prevention
professionals, supporting youth development, and repurposing the built environment. One key initiative includes the Providing Education and Advocacy through Community Engagement (P.E.A.C.E.) Team. Committed to fostering peace, health, and unity, the P.E.A.C.E.
team is a dedicated group of community members trained as Community Health Worker-Violence Prevention Professionals (CHW-VPPs). In partnership with community organizations, the team supports youth and communities in accessing the resources that are needed
to live healthy, safe, and thriving lifestyles.
BCJS’s approach highlights the powerful impact that community partnerships and collaboration have in strengthening and advancing community violence intervention and prevention practices.
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