NGA and NMVC Support State Efforts to Improve Mass Violence Emergency Management Plans

In 2025, state teams from Colorado, Missouri and Nevada participated in the Learning Collaborative on Victim Services in Mass Violence State Emergency Plans. This Learning Collaborative was hosted by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA) in partnership with the National Mass Violence Center (NMVC). During the four-month Learning Collaborative, cross-disciplinary teams advanced their state's efforts to assess the outreach and services provided to mass violence victims and survivors and improve the behavioral and mental health support portions of the state's Mass Violence Emergency Management Plan (EMP).

Mass Violence EMPs are resources that provide guidance and procedures for government agencies and key stakeholders to coordinate a response to a mass violence incident. These resources are developed through inter-agency collaboration and can help define the roles and responsibilities for both public and private officials and organizations during the response. Mass Violence EMPs also help define what personnel and resources need to be activated to protect the community and best support the needs of victims and survivors. This includes addressing the immediate threat to life and safety, as well as the immediate, short- and long-term mental and behavioral health impacts, which can vary greatly depending on the nature and severity of the incident and the communities affected.

During the Learning Collaborative, NGA supported the efforts of state teams to assess the resources provided to mass violence victims and survivors and strengthen the mental health and behavioral health portion of their state's EMPs. This was accomplished through continuous support and technical assistance during the four-month project timeline. NGA and NMVC met monthly with state teams to discuss the progress toward their objectives and provided resources and guidance throughout.

At the wrap-up meeting in September, state teams presented on their final outcomes. In addition to reviewing their state's EMP, outcomes included assessing the current practices in behavioral health emergency response, convening state and local partners to discuss ongoing challenges, and creating mass violence informational guides and resources for public officials and others who prepare for and respond to mass violence incidents. These efforts resulted in the following key takeaways:

• The Need for Coordinated Inter-Agency Emergency Response: State governments play a unique role in coordinating an efficient response following a mass violence incident. By including mental and behavioral health components in the state's Mass Violence EMP, the appropriate state officials and private partners can be activated quickly to provide crucial support to victims and survivors and other impacted members of the community.
• The Unique Needs of Rural Communities: Rural communities may face unique challenges when responding to a mass violence incident and may be less likely to have preexisting resources or specialized personnel without state support. Rural communities therefore benefit greatly from a coordinated state response and may look to state EMPs to provide mental or behavioral health resources to those affected.
• Resources for Crime Victims and Survivors: EMPs benefit from resources that can specifically support crime victims and survivors. Examples developed within this Learning Collaborative include an overview of victim and survivor and behavioral and mental health services in addition to and a mass violence incident-specific overview of crime victim compensation.
• The Role of Training Exercises for Response Preparation: Training materials or table-top exercises are critical for testing the effectiveness of existing EMPs. The outcomes of these exercises can inform state leaders and other key stakeholders on what edits or addendums would be most beneficial for improving future response efforts.

For more information about this Learning Collaborative or the work of the Public Safety and Legal Counsel policy team, please contact Ken Hardy ([email protected]) or Maria Kearl ([email protected]).

This product was supported by Cooperative Agreements #2017-MU-GX-K114, #2020-V7-GX-K002, and #15POVC-23-GK-00555-AERX, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.