Build and Sustain a Solid, Equitable, and Stable Infrastructure Funding

Investments in preventing injuries and violence, especially long-term within marginalized communities fall short compared to the costs associated with these events. The funding challenges faced by state IVP programs are numerous and state IVP programs must piece together the few resources that are available through small grants from many different funding sources. To contend with ongoing funding challenges, state IVP programs can:

Cultivate relationships and partnerships that can lead to funding support (e.g., transportation, housing, pedestrian safety, law enforcement, academia, mental health, substance use, antiracism, health equity, etc.)— even if the pay-off does not occur for many years. In Michigan, a reproductive justice and sexual violence prevention organization, MOASH, established a youth led advisory council to advocate for sexual violence prevention. This council, ran by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) youth partnered with organizations like Planned Parenthood, the Department of Human and Health Services, and Comma Bookstore and Social Hub to organize digital summits, workshops, and a Hill Day. Even though the partnership is new, it is strong and wellinstitutionalized, MOASH has already received funding for next year to continue sexual violence prevention education and activities throughout the state.

Explore reimbursable funding streams from payers, such as Medicare for older adult falls prevention or Medicaid for IVP efforts focused on low-income children and youth. For example, Alaska’s IVP program analyzed trauma registry data to determine causes of injury among Medicaid patients and the costs associated with these injuries. A Memorandum of Agreement with the state Medicaid agency supported technical assistance and training, programs to prevent common injuries, tools, and resources for partners (e.g., “Injury Prevention in a Bag” — a home safety education kit for home visiting staff that included a room-by-room safety checklist). These services will mostly support low-income individuals, new mothers, and differently abled persons; providing them with information that they may not have received due to lack of resources and education and it can combat potentially hazardous practices that could be culturally normative. This program also provides support for surveillance and data analysis activities related to the state’s trauma registry, and linkages to the Medicaid Management Information System.