Murphy announces $10 million in federal funds for violence intervention programs

On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) announced the allocation of $10 million in federal funding to healthcare centers across the state through the New Jersey Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program (NJHVIP), according to a press release.

HVIP specializes in assisting victims of violent incidents with medical and community health workers by providing them with hands-on care, including crisis intervention and mental health assistance.

Alongside the state Attorney General Matthew Platkin, Murphy announced the 11 recipients of the funds, which were provided by the American Rescue Plan.

In Middlesex County, $809,218 was allocated to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in partnership with the Puerto Rican Action Board, according to the release.

In September 2022, Platkin also announced the creation of the Division of Violence Intervention and Victim Assistance (VIVA), an office that promotes the state Department of Law and Public Safety’s approach to limiting interpersonal violence across New Jersey, according to the release.

"These innovative community-based partnerships with our leading medical institutions across the state are what happens when we treat public safety as a shared responsibility and as a matter of public health," he said.