Integrating Violence Prevention into Emergency Preparedness

Public health emergencies can increase the risk of violence by disrupting support systems, limiting access to essential services and creating conditions that heighten stress, instability and vulnerability. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this rise in violence was described by the United Nations as the “shadow pandemic,” underscoring the need to integrate violence prevention into emergency preparedness rather than addressing it only after a crisis occurs.

This webinar will examine evidence-informed strategies for integrating violence prevention into emergency preparedness planning. Participants will explore how to assess violence risk during emergencies, incorporate prevention into Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs), strengthen communication and referral systems and build cross-sector partnerships that promote safety and continuity of services. The webinar will also highlight the workforce competencies needed to recognize emerging risks, coordinate effective responses and strengthen community resilience before, during and after emergencies occur.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Explain how public health emergencies can increase the risk of violence and identify populations that may require additional protection.
• Describe evidence-informed strategies for integrating violence prevention into emergency preparedness planning, including Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs).
• Examine strategies to strengthen communication, referral systems and cross-sector coordination that support safety and continuity of services during public health emergencies.
• Identify key workforce competencies that enhance violence prevention before, during and after emergencies.

Moderators

• Kevin Borrup, DrPH, JD, MPA, is Executive Director of the Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Children's and an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at the UConn School of Medicine. 
• Melissa Osborne, PhD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services at Kennesaw State University. 

Speakers

• Karma Cottman, Chief Executive Officer with Ujima, The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community, has successfully advocated for federal funding to support the development and implementation of culturally specific organizations in the Violence Against Women Act, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, and the Victim of Crimes Act for decades.
• Susie DiVietro, PhD., is a medical anthropologist and research scientist at the Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Children's Medical Center. 
• Felicia A. Henry-Conteh, PhD, LMSW is an artivist-scholar whose research expertise includes race, ethnicity, gender, class, carceral studies, arts-based activism, critical criminology, and disasters and the environment. 
• Jessica Ojiugo Nwafor MDP, MA is a Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at the University of Kentucky, specializing in disaster and space anthropology.