Launching the Houston Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (Houston-HVIP): Developing and Evaluating a Hospital-Based Intervention to Reduce Recurrent Violence

Summary

A prior violent injury is one of the strongest predictors of future violent injury, highlighting the importance of effective hospital-based interventions to prevent reinjury. This project will establish and evaluate the Houston Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (Houston-HVIP). Using a randomized controlled trial, the study will assess the effectiveness of Houston-HVIP in reducing violent reinjury and improving behavioral, mental, and physical health outcomes over a 12-month follow-up period among those enrolled in the study in ages 16-35 years of age.

Conditions

• Firearm Injury

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Houston-HVIP treatment

Participants will be assigned a case manager to provide a brief assessment of , psychological and social needs and a risk assessment and create individualized discharge planning. Participants will be referred to tailored social service programs based on the needs, including assessments of social determinants of health, educational and financial needs, and subsequent referral for programs such as job training, educational support, housing assistance, or financial assistance programs for identified needs. Participants identified at risk for violence perpetration via a risk assessment screener will be referred to the violence interrupter services. Long-term opportunities for engagement with the trauma survivors' network within Memorial Hermann Hospital will be available and encouraged.Participants will receive a structured curriculum that will include regular check-in with an assigned case manager over 6 months to promote successful community-based program integration and completion.

BEHAVIORAL

Standard of Care

Participants will be assigned a case manager to meet with the injured patients to briefly assess (a) psychological and social needs and (b) a risk assessment and create individualized discharge planning. Resources for the patient to connect with social service programs will be provided by the case manager. Long-term opportunities for engagement with the trauma survivors' network within Memorial Hermann Hospital will be available and encouraged. Follow-up contacts and services from an assigned case manager over two weeks following discharge from the hospital to ensure that the patient has contacted the community-level violence outreach organizations.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

  collaborator NIH

• The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sandra McKay, MD · The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

• Alexander Testa, PhD · The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

16 Years

Max Age

35 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-09-16

Primary Completion

2028-02-01

Completion

2028-05-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations