Shelby County, TN

The Network for Overcoming Violence and Abuse (NOVA) was the community-based strategic Defending Childhood Initiative program for Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee that aimed to prevent and reduce childhood exposure to violence. NOVA is a system of public and private agency partners that connected services to children and youth exposed to violence for trauma counseling, parenting support and other family assistance. Since NOVA was formed and rolled out in specific neighborhoods, more than 900 community awareness meetings and events of various sizes have been held and more than 600 families and children have been served by partner agencies. A training video for police officers and other first responders was created to help them help families where children have witnessed or experienced violence.

Visit the Network for Overcoming Violence and Abuse website.

Read the Process Evaluation Report for the Shelby County Defending Childhood Initiative.