Connecticut DPH opens $2.5 million RFA for local public‑health gun‑violence prevention programs

The Connecticut Department of Public Health held a virtual RFA conference April 22 to outline a competitive grant opportunity that will make $2.5 million available to local public‑health approaches to reduce community gun violence, Colleen Violette, public health services manager for the Office of Firearm Injury Prevention, said.

The department is soliciting proposals from local offices of firearm injury prevention, municipalities, local health departments and 501(c)(3) organizations with missions focused on gun‑violence prevention. The agency will prioritize proposals from municipal or local health department lead applicants and those serving municipalities the department identified as having the highest rates of firearm‑related violent injury.

Colleen Violette said the RFA, number 20260907, asks applicants to define the local gun‑violence problem through data collection, identify evidence‑based prevention strategies across the primary/secondary/tertiary prevention continuum, engage multisector partners (for example, law enforcement, schools, hospitals, clergy and community organizations) and include a rigorous evaluation plan coordinated with a DPH‑contracted evaluator. "The award, the funding available, the amount of funding that is available is $2,500,000," Violette said during the webinar.

Key program and procedural…