The Role of Universities in Increasing Clinical Capacity for Community-Based Antiviolence Organizations

Community-based anti-violence organizations (AVOs) are at the forefront of addressing the complex and often overwhelming needs of individuals and communities impacted by violence. In addition to providing solace, these organizations provide critical services, such as training, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, and long-term survivor support. However, delivering high-quality clinical services is challenging for many agencies due to resource constraints, staffing, and expertise. Universities, with their rich academic and clinical knowledge, are uniquely positioned to help bridge these gaps and enhance the clinical capacity of small community agencies that seek to address violence. Utilizing the expertise of two faculty members with fifty years of combined community-based violence prevention experience, this literature review explores several key areas faculty can partner with organizational leaders to support and strengthen their clinical and organizational capacity. Training and education supervised clinical practice, collaborative research and evaluation, access to clinical resources, faculty expertise, and funding support will be discussed as opportunities for expanding partnerships.