Los Angeles received $7 million in federal grants to address the impact of gun violence, City Attorney Mike Feuer announced Thursday.
Feuer’s office received $5 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration and $2 million from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance toward a program to help children who have been exposed to violence involving guns in South Los Angeles.
“Without timely and effective intervention, the brains of children exposed to gun violence will never be the same,” Feuer said in a statement. “Beyond the bullets, gun violence exposure is tied to dramatic and long-term learning, health, emotional and behavioral issues. We can do something about that.”
Feuer’s office launched the Children Exposed to Gun Violence Program in 2018. It partners with the REACH Team and aims to provide both short- and long-term mental health support for children and families who have experienced firearm violence.
The funds are expected to help expand trauma services, implement the Teen Outreach Program in multiple locations and add a community conflict resolution program.
