The Shelby County Defending Childhood Initiative, known as the Network for Overcoming Violence and Abuse (NOVA), used a place-based approach to target children and families exposed to violence in three apartment complexes in the Frayser and Hickory Hill neighborhoods of Memphis. The initiative placed staff in apartment complexes to conduct outreach to children and families in need, and, through case management and advocacy, to refer families to necessary services for therapeutic treatment. Other project components included community awareness campaigns, professional training on topics such as children’s exposure to violence and data confidentiality, and the creation of a shared data management system. (April 2015)
