2023 New York Laws › EXC - Executive › Article 22 - Office of Victim Services › 636 - Community Violence Intervention Act.

§  636.  Community violence intervention act. 1. Legislative findings.
The legislature hereby finds and declares that gun  violence  and  other
forms of violence constitute a crisis that poses a serious threat to the
health and quality of life of all residents of the state of New York. An
epidemic  of  violence  is  tearing  at the fabric of life in many urban
areas. The legislature further finds that  funds  from  the  Victims  of
Crime Act should be used to support hospital based violence intervention
programs and community based violence intervention programs.
2.  Community  violence intervention grants. The office shall dedicate
ten percent or more of  the  total  funding  received  per  award  cycle
pursuant to the federal Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to support:
(a)  "community-based violence intervention programs" which shall mean
a violence intervention program that is: (i) a  nonprofit  organization;
and  (ii)  provides  intensive  counseling,  case management, and social
services to individuals who are recovering from injuries resulting  from
violence or who were witness to acts of violence;
(b) "hospital-based violence intervention programs" which shall mean a
violence  intervention  program  that  is: (i) operated by: (A) a public
hospital; or (B) a nonprofit or government entity in collaboration  with
a  public  or  not-for-profit  hospital;  and  (ii)  provides  intensive
counseling, case management, and social services to individuals who  are
recovering  from injuries resulting from violence or who were witness to
acts of violence.
3. The office shall promulgate guidance relating to community violence
intervention  for  hospital-based  violence  intervention  programs  and
community-based violence intervention programs.
(a) This guidance shall be designed to promote:
(i)  alternative funding sources other than the state, including local
government and private sources as  well  as  funding  from  the  federal
Victims of Crime Act of 1984;
(ii) coordination of public and private efforts to aid individuals who
are  recovering  from  injuries  resulting  from  violence  or  who were
witnesses to acts of violence; and
(iii) long range development of services to victims of violent  crimes
in the community.
(b) This guidance shall also provide for:
(i)  clearly defined and measurable objectives intended to demonstrate
that a program is developed and evaluated  through  scientific  research
and  data  collection  with  measurable  evidence  of  positive outcomes
related to violence intervention;
(ii) a description of how the nonprofit organization proposes  to  use
the funding to:
(A)   establish   or  enhance  community-based  violence  intervention
programs;
(B) enhance coordination of existing violence  intervention  programs,
if any, to minimize duplication of services; and
(C) plan for the collection of relevant data; and
(iii)  outreach  to  the  community  and education and training of law
enforcement and other criminal justice officials to the needs of victims
of violent crimes in the community, to perpetrators  of  violent  crimes
and to witnesses of violent crimes involved in criminal prosecutions.
4.  To the extent practicable, the office shall make efforts to inform
community-based  violence  intervention  programs   and   hospital-based
intervention programs about anticipated awards.