Office of Violence Prevention

The Office of Violence Prevention was established in 2023 in recognition of the connection between health and violence.

The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) is dedicated to investigating, understanding, and addressing violence through a public health approach. This approach focuses on the root causes of violence and guides a coordinated prevention effort to engage community-based organizations, public safety partners, and community advocates.

Violence is a public health issue that creates a ripple effect throughout communities. Within Alameda County, violence is a leading cause of death. It is tied to adverse health outcomes such as trauma, depression, increased rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and asthma.

OVP supports the county through:

• Partnering with community violence intervention programs that address violence and trauma.
• Serving as a convener, bringing together diverse stakeholders to work collaboratively on intervention and prevention strategies.
• Expanding Alameda County Health capacity to prevent, intervene, and reduce the impacts of violence in Alameda County; and,
• Implementing “Promoting Peaceful Families & Communities” strategies in support of the Community Health Improvement Plan.

OVP is currently working to support prevention and intervention efforts in the areas of gun violence, intimate partner violence, youth/young adult suicide prevention, and hate-motivated violence.

Centering Health Equity:

We recognize that violence is the result of historical and present-day national, state, and local public policy choices and institutional practices that shape inequities in the conditions in which people live, work, learn, and play in Alameda County.

Contact us: PublicHealthOVP@acgov.org