The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded a $1.5 million grant to Contra Costa Health (CCH) to assist in a countywide effort to develop evidence-based, public health strategies for reducing community violence.
Funding from DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) will support a CCH-led program focusing on the evidence-based application of social services in populations disproportionately affected by violent crime to improve outcomes, particularly in the eastern and western regions of Contra Costa County.
“Contra Costa Health has been working to prevent community violence since 1983,” said Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. “This grant will inform the strategic vision of the Violence Prevention Program going forward. On behalf of Contra Costa County, I thank the Department of Justice for this investment in decreasing violence-related injury, increasing perceptions of safety, and building strong partnerships and relationships within the community.”
A team including community stakeholders will assess the causes of violent crime in communities in the county that are disproportionately affected by it, and work with partners including cities, law enforcement and community-based organizations to develop a strategic plan to reduce violence-related injury and death, and improve physical and behavioral health, health equity, perceptions of safety and community partnerships.
“Contra Costa Health is committed to eliminating violence and inequities in our communities. We applaud the efforts of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Program for this investment in our communities that suffer from the epidemic of violence,” said Gilbert Salinas, CCH’s chief equity officer. “This funding will be used to save lives across our county.”
Contra Costa’s multi-year plan will focus on developing social-emotional learning programs for at-risk youth, building workforce development opportunities and career paths, and working with communities to improve the physical environment, neighborhood appearance and community engagement.
CCH will partner with the nonprofit National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) during the first year of the grant for research and planning assistance, including a landscape analysis of the county’s existing violence prevention efforts.
The grant secured by CCH’s Public Health division is among $100 million in awards announced by the DOJ last month to support community violence intervention efforts.
