The HAVI Releases New Medicaid Guide to Help States Sustain and Expand Community Violence Intervention
New resource provides practical roadmap for policymakers, hospitals, and community organizations seeking to leverage Medicaid to support evidence-based violence prevention services
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 04, 2026) — The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) today released Leveraging Medicaid to Support Community Violence Intervention, a comprehensive new guide designed to help states, hospitals, and community violence intervention (CVI) organizations establish, implement, and sustain Medicaid-funded violence prevention services.
As communities across the country continue to invest in public health approaches to safety, Medicaid is emerging as one of the most significant opportunities to support evidence-based violence intervention strategies and strengthen services for people at greatest risk of violence. The guide offers practical recommendations, implementation strategies, state examples, and a Medicaid readiness checklist to help states, community organizations, frontline workers, and physicians move from policy discussions to action.
"Violence is not inevitable—it is preventable," said Fatimah Loren Dreier, executive director of the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention. "Across the country, community violence intervention programs are demonstrating what is possible when we invest in healing, trust, and community-driven solutions. This guide provides states and providers with practical tools to sustain and expand that work through Medicaid so that more individuals, families, and communities can access the support they need to heal and thrive."
For more than a decade, the HAVI has worked alongside federal, state, and local leaders to advance policies that recognize violence as a public health issue and support evidence-based community violence intervention strategies. Since federal guidance first clarified pathways for Medicaid reimbursement of violence prevention services, momentum has continued to grow. As of 2026, eight states have successfully established Medicaid violence prevention benefits through legislation, state plan amendments, or other policy mechanisms, creating new opportunities for trained Violence Prevention Professionals and community-based organizations to deliver reimbursable services.
The guide arrives as communities seek long-term solutions to sustain violence prevention efforts and build on a growing body of evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of community violence intervention. Recent research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that sustained engagement in a hospital-based violence intervention program was associated with a nearly 50 percent reduction in violence-related outcomes among participants.
The Resource Guide is Designed for:
State Medicaid agencies and policymakers exploring violence prevention benefits
Hospitals and health systems seeking to integrate violence intervention into care delivery
Community violence intervention organizations interested in Medicaid reimbursement
Public health leaders working to strengthen sustainable violence prevention infrastructure
"Medicaid represents one of the strongest opportunities available today to support and sustain community violence intervention services," said Kyle Fischer, MD, MPH, policy director at the HAVI and co-author of the guide. "This resource helps bridge the gap between policy and practice by providing states and organizations with actionable guidance they can use to implement these benefits and strengthen community safety."
The guide is divided into two sections: How Medicaid Policies Work, which explains pathways for states to establish violence prevention benefits, and How to Utilize Medicaid, which provides step-by-step guidance for organizations seeking to assess readiness, enroll as providers, navigate billing requirements, and implement Medicaid-funded services. The resource also includes state case studies, certification requirements for Violence Prevention Professionals, and practical implementation recommendations drawn from communities already using these benefits.
The guide is available for download at www.thehavi.org/public-funding-for-violence-intervention.
To support implementation, the HAVI hosted a national webinar, Leveraging Medicaid to Advance Community Violence Intervention, on June 4, bringing together state leaders, practitioners, and policy experts to discuss lessons learned and opportunities for expanding Medicaid-funded violence prevention services. For more information on this webinar, please contact Comms@theHAVI.org.
About The HAVI
The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing violence and advancing health equity by strengthening hospital-based and community-led violence intervention programs. The HAVI works to ensure that people most impacted by violence receive the care, support, and opportunities needed to heal, thrive, and contribute to safer communities.