Saint Mary’s Hospital Launching Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program

Saint Mary's Hospital and Trinity Health Of New England team join to launch HVIP.

Trinity Health Of New England recently held a kickoff meeting to begin planning and designing the program, which is anticipated to launch this November. Partners participating in the planning process include the City of Waterbury Department of Public Health, Waterbury Police Department, Waterbury PALs, Project Longevity, and several Saint Mary’s departments, including Emergency Medicine, Trauma Injury and Prevention, Community Health and Well-Being, Security, and Mission Integration.

“At Saint Mary’s, we are committed to caring for the whole person, not just treating injuries,” said Robert Roose, MD, MPH, President, Acute Care, Trinity Health Of New England. “The HVIP will allow us to meet patients during a critical moment in their healing journey and connect them with the resources, support, and opportunities they need to recover and thrive. We are grateful to our community partners and the City of Waterbury for helping bring this important program to our hospital and the communities we serve.”

The planning committee is working closely with the Waterbury Gun Violence Prevention Partnership (GVPP) to build on the successful HVIP model that has operated at Saint Francis Hospital for more than 20 years. To support the program’s launch, the City of Waterbury has awarded Saint Mary’s $40,000.

Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs bring together hospital teams and trusted community organizations to engage individuals who have experienced interpersonal violence during a critical stage of their recovery. Specially trained Certified Community Health Workers, known as HVIP Specialists, connect with patients at the bedside to provide trauma-informed support, safety planning, and connections to ongoing services.

For many patients, recovery presents a powerful “teachable moment,” when they may be particularly open to support and opportunities for positive change. Through the HVIP, that support will continue beyond discharge through connections to community resources, mentoring, follow-up assistance, home visits, and longer-term case management.

“Violence intervention is about creating pathways to healing and hope,” said Carolyn Alessi, Regional Director of Community Health and Well-Being, Trinity Health Of New England. “By engaging patients at the bedside and building trusted relationships that continue after discharge, we can help address the social and environmental factors that contribute to violence while connecting individuals to supportive services that promote long-term stability, safety, and well-being. This collaboration represents a meaningful investment in both individual recovery and community health.”

The program will also address underlying risk factors that may contribute to future violence or reinjury while strengthening protective factors such as social support, employment readiness, educational opportunities, and access to community resources.

By bringing a proven, evidence-based model to the Waterbury community, Saint Mary’s and its community partners are strengthening efforts to prevent reinjury, reduce retaliation, and support healing, safety, and long-term well-being for those impacted by violence.