FY17 Minority Youth Violence Prevention II (MYVP II): Integrating Social Determinants of Health and Community Policing Approaches | MP YEP 17 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for MP YEP 17 001

FY17 Minority Youth Violence Prevention II (MYVP II): Integrating Social Determinants of Health and Community Policing Approaches is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, specifically through the Office of Minority Health (OMH). It builds on the earlier Minority Youth Violence Prevention (MYVP) program (2014-2017), a joint effort between OMH and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The original MYVP program was designed to show that pairing public health strategies with community policing can both reduce violent crime and improve health outcomes, especially by addressing unequal access to public health services for at-risk minority male youth in communities of color. Since the first MYVP funding period ends August 31, 2017, OMH launched MYVP II to continue and expand this work with updated expectations and a broader emphasis on social determinants of health.

The core purpose of MYVP II is to support innovative, community-level interventions that measurably reduce the prevalence and impact of youth violence among racial and ethnic minority and/or disadvantaged youth. The program frames youth violence as both a public safety issue and a public health issue, recognizing that violence exposure is tied to injuries, death, trauma, stress-related health problems, and long-term social and economic harms. The opportunity highlights that homicide is one of the leading causes of death for young people, and it points to stark disparities by race and ethnicity, including substantially higher homicide rates for non-Hispanic Black youth compared to non-Hispanic White, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native youth. It also emphasizes well-documented disparities in justice involvement, where minority youth, particularly African American youth, are overrepresented at multiple points in the juvenile and adult justice systems, and where American Indian/Alaska Native youth experience disproportionately high levels of trauma. In short, the grant is aimed at communities where violence, poverty, and limited access to services reinforce one another and where coordinated prevention can interrupt that cycle.

A defining feature of MYVP II is its required multi-disciplinary partnership structure. Projects must be coordinated and collaborative, and at minimum include: (1) a public health agency, which can be a public health department or a community-based organization focused on public health; (2) a local school, which may be a primary school, secondary school, alternative or non-traditional school, or a school district; (3) a state, county, or local law enforcement agency, or another government agency that can show a working collaboration with law enforcement (examples listed include a mayor's office, county government, or board of supervisors); and (4) an institution of higher education or learning. This design is meant to ensure that prevention is not treated as a single-agency effort, but as a shared strategy that aligns public health expertise, school-based reach, community policing capacity, and research/evaluation support from higher education partners.

In terms of who the program is meant to serve, MYVP II targets at-risk racial and ethnic minority and/or disadvantaged youth ages 12 to 18 at the start of the project. This is a shift from the earlier MYVP framing that focused on minority male youth ages 10 to 18; MYVP II broadens the focus while still centering communities experiencing disproportionate harm. Interventions are expected to be tailored to the target population and grounded in problem-solving approaches, drawing from promising violence prevention and crime reduction models that can be adapted, refined, or modified to fit local needs and context. The grant narrative also underscores that solutions should take into account social determinants of health, meaning the conditions in which young people live, learn, and grow, including factors like poverty, education access, neighborhood safety, employment opportunities, and barriers to health and social services.

The opportunity situates community policing as a key implementation partner and philosophy, describing it as an approach that relies on partnerships and problem-solving to address the underlying conditions that contribute to crime, disorder, and fear. It also notes growing attention to implicit bias in policing and references DOJ/COPS efforts to deliver Fair and Impartial Policing training to thousands of officers. The intent is not simply enforcement, but stronger legitimacy, trust, and collaboration between law enforcement and communities, paired with prevention strategies that address root causes and reduce the likelihood of youth victimization and perpetration.

MYVP II is also grounded in the research base on risk and protective factors associated with youth violence. The opportunity lists common risk factors at multiple levels, including prior victimization, early aggressive behavior, substance use, high emotional distress, low parental involvement, poor family functioning, gang involvement, poor academic performance, diminished economic opportunities, concentrated poverty, and low community participation. Alongside this, it highlights the importance of protective factors that can buffer risk, even noting that protective factors have historically been studied less rigorously than risk factors. Examples of protective factors cited include strong academic achievement and commitment to school, positive social orientation and social skills, connectedness to family or supportive adults, high parental expectations around school, involvement in prosocial activities, strong pro-social relationships at school, peer groups that discourage antisocial behavior, and consistent discouragement of aggression by parents and teachers. This framing signals that competitive proposals should not only aim to suppress violence, but also actively build the supports and environments that help youth thrive.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity number is MP YEP 17 001, the assistance listing (CFDA) number is 93.910, the funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is health. The posting indicates an award ceiling of $425,000, with an anticipated 11 awards. The opportunity was created January 6, 2017, with an original application closing date of April 4, 2017. Eligibility is described as "Others" with further clarification referenced in the full announcement, which is typical for programs that expect specific multi-entity partnerships and may allow a range of lead applicants as long as the required partners are formally included.

Overall, MYVP II funds place-based, partnership-driven strategies that treat youth violence reduction as a combined public health and public safety mission. It prioritizes interventions that are locally tailored, data-informed, and designed to reduce disparities, while also strengthening the protective factors and community conditions that prevent violence in the first place.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY17 Minority Youth Violence Prevention II (MYVP II): Integrating Social Determinants of Health and Community Policing Approaches" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.910.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 06, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 04, 2017 No Explanation. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $425,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 11 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for MP YEP 17 001

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