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.
presented for a gunshot injury stemming from community violence at Memorial Hermann Hospital
English or Spanish-speaking
provide informed voluntary consent to participate in the study
live in Harris County at time of enrollment
presenting for a firearm injury arising from a self-inflicted gunshot or unintentional gun violence
actively detained by criminal justice systems at time of enrollment
Parallel
Houston-HVIP treatment
BehavioralParticipants 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.
Standard of Care
BehavioralParticipants 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.
Change in repeat violent victimization as assessed by the number of participants who return to the hospital system for for an intentional firearm injury
Change in repeat non-firearm violent victimization as assessed by the number of participants who return to the hospital system for an intentional non-firearm injury
Change in attitudes towards firearm violence as assessed by Firearm Violences Attitudes (Sheley; Shapiro) questionnaire
This is a 13-item questionnaire; however, only items 3,4,7,9,10,12 and 13 will be asked. Each is scored from 1(strongly disagree) - 4(strongly agree), Maximum score of 28 .Higher score indicates more aggression.
Change in post-traumatic stress as assessed by the post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist Version 5(PCL-5)
This is a 20-item questionnaire; however only items 1 and 4 of the PCL-20 will be asked. These 2 items will be anchored to a stressful experience. And each is scored form 0(not at all)-4(extremely), maximum score of 8, higher score indicating worse outcome
Change in aggression as assessed by the Copeland-Linder questionnaire.
This is a 7-item questionnaire; however, only items 1, 5, and 6 will be asked. Each is scored from 1(strongly disagree) - 4(strongly agree). Maximum score is 12. Higher score indicates more aggression
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The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Lead sponsor
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Collaborator
