Violence Intervention Advocacy Program

Boston Medical Center’s Violence Intervention Advocacy Program (VIAP) was conceived in 2006 to help stem the tide of Boston’s gun and knife violence. Over the past seventeen years, VIAP has become a vital component of violence intervention in the city and beyond. With the knowledge that violent injury is the strongest predictor of future violent injury, VIAP’s mission is to assist victims of violence and their families to recover from physical and emotional trauma and empower them with skills, services and opportunities so they may return to their communities, make positive changes in their lives, and contribute to building better communities. To accomplish this, patient victims and their families are paired with a team comprised of a case manager, a mental health clinician, and a family support advocate to help them overcome barriers and turn their lives around.