OVP - About Us
About Us
The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) was established by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) in 1994, following the Surgeon General declaration of violence as a public health epidemic. OVP works to prevent violence across the lifespan and reduce its negative impacts when it does occur. We understand violence to be anything that hurts or destroys any person, place, or thing. We believe that exposure to violence in the home or community can change the life of a child forever. We believe in primary prevention - preventing violence from happening in the first place by increasing awareness, identifying alternatives, responding early, surrounding children with protection, building on strengths, supporting parents and caregivers, strengthening community connections and working towards a culture of peace and justice.
Mission Statement
The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) works to reduce the likelihood of violence related injury and death and support trauma recovery and healing across Chicago communities.
Violence Prevention Priorities
- Refining data collection– updating and maintaining reported data using common indicators across programs, addressing gaps in reporting, clarifying duplicated and unduplicated services, and onboarding new data submission processes.
- Mapping service delivery – CDPH will work with programs to map the delivery of services from the initial point of participant engagement to service completion.
- Assuring services and impacts - CDPH will work with programs to ensure services adhere to current contracts utilizing evidence-based practice models, and are connected to program evaluation supports (where needed).
- Strengthening collaborations across communities, OVP, the Behavioral Health Bureau (Substance Use and Mental Health), the Community Safety Coordination Center (summer coordination, crisis incidents, staff support) and municipal layers.
Contact us at violence_preventionCDPH@CityofChicago.org
