The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Center for Injury and Violence Prevention (CIVP) is located within the Office of Healthy Homes and Communities and addresses a variety of violence and injury topics using a public health approach and a health equity lens. CIVP’s goal is to prevent unintentional injuries and violence by promoting safety in homes, on the road and within relationships. This goal is accomplished by four objectives:
- Track and utilize data for programmatic decision making, sharing, and reporting.
- Provide education and resources and promote evidence-based decision making to inform policy.
- Coordinate or provide training and technical assistance to stakeholders.
- Utilize a shared risk and protective factor approach for program planning and implementation.
Mission: Our mission is to prevent death and serious injury by promoting safe environments, reducing risk, and utilizing the best available evidence to strengthen communities.
Vision: A Maryland with safe, healthy, resilient communities
Ongoing Programs
- The Core State Injury Prevention Program (Core SIPP) focuses strategic efforts on addressing transportation safety, traumatic brain injuries, and adverse childhood experiences through data-driven approaches and partnerships with organizations and local health departments. Core SIPP also coordinates and leads annual violence and injury prevention forum events that are used to present state-level data to stakeholders.
- The Rape and Sexual Assault Prevention Program (RSAPP) leads Maryland’s primary prevention efforts to reduce sexual violence by using data to prioritize and support projects and partnerships that aim to reduce sexual violence in Maryland by providing resources and training. RSAPP co-sponsors the Annual Maryland Women of Color Network conference and leads the coalition-building effort for sexual violence prevention and related forms of violence through RISEMD.
- Maryland Kids in Safety Seats (MD KISS) is a state-wide program funded through the Maryland Highway Safety Office. This program provides education and resources to parents and caregivers in need of car seats or booster seats in an effort to reduce motor vehicle related injuries and deaths among children in Maryland. The list of services that MD KISS provides include a low cost car seat program, in-person technical assistance, virtual assistance and educational webinars.
- CIVP addresses other forms of violence and injury such as occupational injury, opioid overdose, and violent deaths.
ServicesCIVP supports cross-cutting strategies among injury focus areas and addresses shared risk and protective factors within our state. Data are used to identify and reduce disparities in violence and injury through the Center’s services and programs, which include the following activities:
- needs assessments
- partnerships and collaboration with local health departments, colleges and universities, and coalitions
- training, technical assistance, and resources
- statewide program evaluation
Key Partners
