The 2015 UNITY City Network convening event was the largest yet, with 70 representatives of 23 cities coming together to develop new skills and renew connections. Participants learned to use the Collaboration Multiplier tool to prevent violence and visited the REACH Ashland Youth Center to see multi-sector collaboration in action. Read this summary for event highlights and an overview of multi-sector strategies in UNITY cities. Mayor Libby Schaaf welcomed the UNITY City Network to Oakland.

There is growing recognition that many sectors must be engaged to effectively prevent violence, but people always don't know what they bring to the table or how their sector can pitch in. This publication clarifies the roles and contributions of 10 sectors and 12 departments, and it walks readers through Collaboration Multiplier, an influential Prevention Institute tool. This guide can be used to maximize the benefits of collaboration and overcome the barriers, whether you're just getting started or already have a strong coalition. Key features include: Case examples of how various sectors add

There is growing recognition that preventing violence means engaging many sectors, but collaboration can be difficult. This publication outlines the benefits and challenges of multi-sector collaboration, and illustrates how the Collaboration Multiplier tool can help with an example out of Houston. It features a Collaboration Multiplier grid with information about seven public sectors, as well as a sample analysis for how community services, the economic sector, schools and public health might work together to prevent violence. Developed with funding from The Kresge Foundation, "A Multi-Sector

UNITY has enhanced and built capacity of U.S. cities to prevent violence using the public health approach since 2005, and more than 70 percent of national partners see UNITY as a viable model for preventing violence. This initiative has improved collaboration among cities, national partners and community members, developed useful tools, and provided a forum for cities to work together on critical issues. Read this publication for a discussion of major findings from the 2013 UNITY evaluation, UNITY Eight-Year Assessment: Results of an Innovative Initiative to Improve the Urban Response to Youth

Young people are powerfully affected by the environments they grow up in, and this has implications for preventing violence. In many neighborhoods across the U.S., entire communities experience traumatizing events and conditions. This publication summarizes a conversation between UCSF Professor Howard Pinderhughes and UNITY Project Director Rachel Davis on community-level trauma and what can be done about it. Read other publications in the Making the Case series.

Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith was one of the first people to describe violence as a public health issue, and this publication shares her valuable insights for practitioners to prevent violence in the years to come. Among other lessons, Dr. Prothrow-Stith calls for investing in prevention strategies now rather than paying more later. This publication is part of the Making the Case series.

The Boston Public Health Commission's Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (VIP) is grounded in community engagement, an essential element of preventing violence. Part of the City Voices and Perspectives series, this publication describes the goals of VIP's five community coalitions, and shares advice for mobilizing residents.

Part of the City Voices and Perspectives series, this publication describes the advantages of a coordinated out-of-school-time system and includes recommendations for overcoming implementation challenges.

With strategies ranging from local initiatives to federal funding streams, this report shares various ways six UNITY cities finance their prevention efforts. Learn about increasing the impact of limited resources by improving cross-sector collaboration and repurposing licensing fees, for example.