Safe Rhode Island:
Violence and Injury Prevention Program

About the Program

The Safe Rhode Island Program enables the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) to assess the burden of injury, promote statewide injury prevention programs, and develop policies to prevent injuries.  All Rhode Islanders are target populations.   Safe RI is focusing on the development of a state injury prevention plan and a statewide assessment of program resources and needs.  The following programs are currently funded through Safe RI:

• CDC grant to HEALTH for Core Injury Development (Safe Rhode Island)
• CDC grant to HEALTH for Violence Surveillance Integration
• CDC grant to HEALTH for ESCAPe, youth violence prevention strategic planning
• CDC dedicated funds for Rape Prevention Education
• Department of Transportation funds for Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety

Mission

Injuries are not “accidents”, they are predictable and preventable.

Our mission is to collaborate with public and private partners to develop, implement and evaluate programs to reduce death and disability caused by violent injuries (i.e., homicides, assaults, suicides, and suicide attempts) and, unintentional injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes, falls, fires, drowning, poisoning, suffocation, and other causes.

Program Staff

• Beatriz Perez, MPH, Manager, Safe RI
• Jennifer Almeida, MPH, Epidemiologist/ Intentional Injury Prevention Coordinator
• Germaine Dennaker, MA, Unintentional Injury Prevention Coordinator
• Ann Thacher, MS, Chief, Office of Health Promotion