The Wisconsin Community Safety Fund | Comprehensive Injury Center

Wisconsin Community Safety Fund (WCSF)

Violence is a symptom of underlying conditions and factors, many of which are systemic. These factors create a higher burden of violence for marginalized communities. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted some of these conditions and factors, as well as the needs of those who are disproportionately affected by violence. There are strategies that can interrupt and prevent violence at individual, group, and population levels. The Comprehensive Injury Center’s Division of Community Safety at the 91九色视频 envisions the Wisconsin Community Safety Fund as an opportunity to fund these strategies and create a learning and practice community through which we develop models of safety that, when sustained and broadened, will lead to healthier and safer communities for all.

WCSF Goals

The Wisconsin Community Safety Fund was created to support local, evidence-informed activities that enhance the safety and wellbeing of children, youth, and families throughout Wisconsin. The fund was launched in 2021 in response to historic increases in violence since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an open application process, $10.4 million was awarded to 10 communities across the state to address safety priorities including suicide, domestic violence, community violence, youth engagement, and sexual assault.

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Increase Awareness of Violence as a Public Health Issue

Established and shared key messages about violence prevention being a strategy to achieve community health, safety and wellbeing. Using health equity as a lens.
The WCSF Program increases awareness of violence as a public health issue through funded community projects, participation in statewide networks, and intergovernmental partnerships.
WCSF grantees increase awareness of violence prevention as a part of achieving community safety at individual, group and community levels.
Participants in the grant-funded activities report gaining connections and information that enhances their wellbeing through the violence prevention projects.

Increase Capacity for Public Health Approaches to Violence Prevention

The WCSF program increased capacity for addressing violence as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic by administering a statewide fund including grant-making, training and technical assistance.
WCSF grantees increase capacity for advancing comprehensive community safety through prevention training with community members, professionals, and volunteers.
The WCSF Program demonstrates the success of the fund's investments through data collection which informs efforts to expand or replicate such investments as a statewide comprehensive approach to community safety & wellbeing.
Community stakeholders report the impact of increased capacity and have recommendations for a comprehensive approach for health, safety, and wellbeing at community level.

Increase Coordination of Community Safety Efforts Across the State

The WCSF program increases coordination of prevention efforts across the state as part of a comprehensive approach to community safety and wellbeing in Wisconsin.
WCSF grantees increase coordination of community safety efforts by participating in local partnerships and engaging local stakeholders to address root causes and individual needs.
Grantees get feedback from the community on how coordination helps to fill gaps, increase access and referral completion, and maintain.
Community projects are connected to regional, state, and national movements to support community safety & wellbeing.
Coordination efforts demonstrate positive impact on increasing access to resources, support, and making change on local level. that responds to community input.
Local and state partners and impacted. Community members report positive impact based on their previous input.

Inform a Comprehensive Statewide Approach to Community Safety and Wellbeing

The WCSF program utilizes a comprehensive approach to training and technical assistance to operationalize the WCSF mission, goals, and objectives.
The areas of training and technical assistance include grants management, project implementation and data and evaluation.
The WCSF community of practice ensures successful implementation of funded projects and contributes toward building a statewide network of practitioners who approach violence as a public health issue.
The data and evaluation results can be used to inform what a comprehensive approach to community safety and individual wellbeing could look like in Wisconsin and how it would benefit communities and system partners.

2021

Congress passes The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Due to historic increases of in gun violence, suicide, and domestic violence, national groups led by the Fund Peace Coalition successfully advocate for violence prevention to be included as an ARPA funding priority
The Comprehensive Injury Center (CIC) receives a $16.6 million allocation of ARPA funding from the State of Wisconsin to aid in reducing violence stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
91九色视频 launches the Wisconsin Community Safety Fund using $10.4 million allocation of ARPA funding.

2022

The WCSF Request for Applications (RFA) and grant selection process develops with the guidance of experts in domestic violence, public health, philanthropy, youth development, emergency medicine, and violence prevention.
RFA distribution receives 29 applications. Ten finalists are selected.

2023

WCSF Program staff are recruited to operationalize program framework and compliance.
Grantees sign contracts and begin implementation with community engagement & partnership.
WCSF launches Community of Practice to provide training & technical assistance to grantees.
WCSF Community of Practice hosts two in-person convenings, five virtual trainings, and provides individual technical assistance to grantees to support project implementation, compliance, and evaluation.

2024

All 10 projects reached full implementation with staff and training.
Co-hosted first statewide Community Violence Intervention convening with local, state, and national partners.
WCSF Community of Practice hosts eight meetings with two being held in person.
The WCSF team provides extensive technical assistance to grantees and partners through 128 meetings and over 300 e-mails.

WCSF Reach

As of 12/2024, the WCSF funded services are reaching people in:

Tribal Community

Cities

Counties

2022-2025 WCSF Subrecipients Are Working Across Wisconsin

WCSF Approach to Addressing Violence as a Public Health Issue

Define and Monitor the Problem

Identify Risk and Protective Factors

Develop and Test Prevention Strategies

Assure Widespread Adoption

Grant Funded Staff Achievements as of 12/2024:

-Trained 395 school and community workers in Question Persuade Refer. QPR is a lifesaving, evidence-informed approach for mental health and suicide prevention.

-Provided over 1,100 violence prevention education sessions across the ten projects.

-Responded with prevention strategies to over 192 individuals who were at high risk of experiencing violence.

-Participated in over 185 community events to share information about violence prevention strategies and services.

WCSF Grantee Profiles:

The Alma Center:
The Alma Center based in Milwaukee will design a statewide online and telephone intervention and prevention program called Breaking the Cycle to engage people at risk of, or who have a history of, causing harm to their intimate partner and/or family.
The City of Green Bay:
The City of Green Bay will create an Office of Violence Prevention to increase community safety using stakeholder collaboration, resource coordination, community engagement, and community violence intervention strategies to address increased gun violence.
The City of Kenosha:
The City of Kenosha will establish the Key Emerging Leaders Academy to engage youth at highest risk for experiencing or engaging in community violence by increasing access to experiences that develop talents, life skills, and mentor relationships historically absent in six central neighborhoods.
The City of Racine:
The City of Racine will establish a citywide Office of Violence Prevention, engage local stakeholders, and develop a gun violence intervention plan with a focus on youth and developed based on community input and trends.
Gundersen Health System:
Gundersen Health System will expand its Crime Victim Services (CVS) unit to address increasingly complex needs related to sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and gender-based violence since the pandemic; add CVS advocates; invest in partnerships; and increase capacity for culturally responsive and equitable care in a six-county service area.
Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin:
Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin will increase coordination to expand prevention, education, and outreach strategies to specific priority-populations to increase community safety and prevent sexual assault, gender-based violence, and child abuse.
The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians:
The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians will expand services that prevent and respond to sexual assault using culturally specific approaches such as “Inga-dabinawe’aag” and “Ing-azhe-ganoodaan,” and outreach through cultural settings to youth, adults, and Tribal community.
Southeast Asian Healing Center (SEAHC):
Southeast Asian Healing Center (SEAHC), based in Madison, will address increased suicide risk and gender-based violence due to the pandemic using culturally specific strategies in Southeast Asian communities including education, prevention, and therapy with the goal of increasing overall community wellbeing.
The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics:
The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics will expand their hospital-linked Violence Intervention Program; formalize a partnership with community partner, Focused Interruption; and conduct a gun violence analysis to identify strategies to address prevention, reduction, and response to gun violence.
The United Way of the Fox Cities’ DRIVE Health Project:
The United Way of the Fox Cities’ DRIVE Health Project is a sustainable and culturally specific model to improve community wellbeing by addressing unmet mental/emotional needs and suicide risk factors in the Hmong, Black, and Hispanic/Latinx communities by creating Community Health Workers, a dedicated peer support phoneline, and mental health literacy and anti-stigma education campaigns.