John Muir Health’s Beyond Violence Program Receives 2024 NOVA Award from American Hospital Association

Quick intervention using this hospital-based violence intervention program supports survivors toward a path of healing and safety.

WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, May 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- John Muir Health has been named one of the American Hospital Association’s 2024 Dick Davidson NOVA Award recipients for the health system’s highly successful Beyond Violence program.

Established in 2010 under the leadership of Kacey Hansen, executive director of John Muir Health’s Trauma and Regional Transfer Center Services, Beyond Violence provides robust intervention to people impacted by interpersonal violence. The program utilizes a collaborative model to provide patients with timely hospital bedside support, crisis management, linkages to a robust network of health and social support services, and connection to various local nonprofit organizations.

“The NOVA Award reflects the program’s success, which is based on the power of community partnerships, a holistic care model and generous financial support that has allowed us to serve more clients,” said Jamie Elmasu, director of John Muir Health’s Community Health Improvement department. “Our Beyond Violence collaborative has created an infrastructure of healing and resilience using a racial justice and health equity lens.”

The Beyond Violence program has expanded in response to the growing need for violence prevention in the community. This growth has been supported by various sources, including donors from John Muir Health, a $1.6 million grant from the CARESTAR Foundation, and funding from California’s Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Grant Program. The CARESTAR Foundation's vision to improve the lives of those affected by trauma through comprehensive care, services, and support aligns closely with John Muir Health’s mission and the Beyond Violence program. CalVIP’s grant of nearly $1.8 million over three years awarded to the Beyond Violence program in 2022 has enabled the extension of support programs to the cities of Richmond and Antioch through a new partnership with the Contra Costa Family Justice Center. Additionally, it has facilitated the expansion of mental health services not only to program participants but also to students in the Antioch Unified School District.

As Contra Costa County’s only trauma center, John Muir Health sees a high percentage of the survivors of interpersonal violence. Since its inception, Beyond Violence has provided healing support to more than 700 clients and has experienced great success in supporting clients toward a path of healing and safety. Nearly all Beyond Violence clients have remained alive, avoided re-injury, and had limited involvement with the criminal justice system.

Three John Muir Health departments (Community Health Improvement, Trauma Services, and Social Services) and five nonprofit community partner organizations contribute to the collective. Partners include RYSE Center serving West Contra Costa County, One Day at a Time serving East Contra Costa County, Center for Human Development serving Central Contra Costa County, Fred Finch Youth and Family Services, which provides mental health support, and Contra Costa Family Justice Center.

Intervention specialists (trained paraprofessionals from the communities served) and mental health therapists collaborate with social services staff to provide wrap-around support to patients and their families who have been affected by interpersonal violence. These service providers offer deep empathy, compassion, and relational healing as well as linkages to practical and needed resources for recovery, including mental health and substance use treatment, career and education support, legal advocacy, housing and food support, and emergency funds.

“John Muir Health is proud to be a leader in violence prevention and healing in the communities we serve,” said Laura Pooler, a licensed clinical social worker and John Muir Health’s trauma injury prevention and community outreach coordinator. “Our internal teams and community partners are all extremely dedicated to listening and responding to needs that program clients identify as critical to their recovery.”

The American Hospital Association’s Dick Davidson NOVA Award recognizes hospitals and health systems for their collaborative efforts toward improving community status, whether through health care, economic or social initiatives. Honorees participate in joint efforts among health care systems or hospitals, or among hospitals and other community leaders and organizations. More information can be found on the American Hospital Association website.

Ben Drew
John Muir Health
+1 9259475387
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