Injury and Violence Prevention

The Washington State Department of Health's (DOH) Injury and Violence Prevention (IVP) Program is founded on a basic principle: injuries and violence are preventable public health priorities.

In public health practice, injury is damage or harm to the body resulting in impairment or destruction of health. Violence is intentional injury — the use of power or force against oneself or another person. Outcomes of injury and violence can be lifelong disability, death, and trauma.

Over the past decade, more than 43,000 Washingtonians died from injury and violence (unintentional, suicide, and homicide). Historically, injury and violence-related deaths have been the leading cause of death for Washington residents ages one to 54 years old (1,469 unintentional, 781 suicide, and 188 homicide in 2019). The state also experienced a shift in injury focus when, in 2010, suicide surpassed deaths related to motor vehicle traffic (MVT) and became the leading cause of deaths in those ages 15–24 years old. IVP uses data to identify prevention priorities and develop interventions based on best practices.

Prevention Guide

You may find detailed information about evidence-based strategies and injury specific data in our Injury and Violence Prevention Guide (PDF).

Reporting Manual

Washington State Cancer Registry Reporting Handbook (PDF)

About the Injury and Violence Prevention Program

IVP oversees and implements a wide range of injury and violence prevention work. Currently, its focus areas include:

IVP coordinates with many partners across Washington state to build capacity to prevent injuries and violence. This joint work includes:

Identifying and focusing on populations and communities most affected by each type of injury and violence
Supporting local and community programs that directly address injury and violence prevention
Collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and sharing injury and violence data
Researching, evaluating, and funding evidence-informed policies and best practices
Developing public health messaging and supporting trainings for local, regional, state, and community-based prevention programs.

Funding Announcements

State Overdose Prevention Campaign Funding Opportunity

The Washington State Legislature allocated these funds to support local health jurisdictions (LHJ) in implementing overdose prevention, awareness, and education campaigns in State Fiscal Year 25.

*Application document updated on 9/30 to include allowability of a Joint Regional Application.

Application due: October 7, 2024
Budget period: October 31, 2024-June 30, 2025
Total funds available to all LHJs: $2,000,000
Minimum estimated amount available per LHJ: $56,000*
**The minimum estimated amount available assumes all LHJs in WA apply for funding.

Information about the funding opportunity, including application questions that must be completed and sent to DOH (PDF)

If you have any questions, please contact Karen Pastori at karen.pastori@doh.wa.gov

Federal Overdose Prevention Funding Opportunities

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) supports overdose prevention and response efforts for all people across Washington state. To bolster these efforts, DOH has been awarded the Overdose Data to Action in States (OD2A-S) Cooperative Agreement through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The purpose of these federal funds is to support local health jurisdictions (LHJ) and community-based organizations (CBO) in achieving community-tailored interventions in response to the overdose epidemic.

Note: There are two different applications below: LHJ Funding and CBO Funding. Please select the one appropriate for your organization.

Summary RFA Information:

Anticipated Budget Period: October or November 2024 – August 31, 2025, with the possibility of annual renewal, for up to 3 years.
Estimated Number of Awards: 5-7
Estimated Award Amount for Years 1 & 2: $64,943-$90,920/year (excluding One-Time Enhancement)
Estimated Award Amount for Years 3 & 4: $45,895-$64,253/year
If you have questions, please contact Anjali Shankar at anjali.shankar@doh.wa.gov.

LHJ Funding

Application Due: September 23, 2024

This document provides information about the funding opportunity and the application process.

Request for Applications (RFA) for Local Health Jurisdictions (PDF)

These documents must be completed and sent to DOH as part of a complete application.

These documents are supporting resources for applicants:

CBO Funding

Application Due: October 22, 2024

This document provides information about the funding opportunity and the application process.

Request for Applications (RFA) for CBOs (PDF)

These documents must be completed and sent to DOH as part of a complete application.

These documents are supporting resources for applicants:

Question and Answer Sessions for Interested CBO Applicants

Session #1 was held on 9/24
Session #2 will be on 10/15

Session 2 will cover the same information shared in the first call and provide an opportunity for those who missed that call to get final questions answered. A document with questions from the first and second call and their responses will be posted on the website after the second call.

Those interested in applying can join anytime between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm to ask questions about the application. If you are interested in interpretation services, please email Anjali Shankar at Anjali.Shankar@doh.wa.gov by 10/07/24.

Meeting information