Supporting Children Exposed to Violence in South Los Angeles

This program aligns with the Department’s priorities to combat victimization and reduce violent crime. Funding under the Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence program can be used to develop support services for children exposed to violence in their homes, schools, and communities; and to develop, enhance, and implement violent crime reduction strategies that focus on violent juvenile offenders. This program development and resource allocation decision by interested applicants should be based on currently available resources to the jurisdiction and gaps in services. This program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 11171-11172; Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2020, Pub. L. No. 116-93; 133 Stat. 2317, 2410.

The Children Exposed to Violence Program will focus on the needs of two target populations: children present at crime scenes who have witnessed violence and high school-age juvenile offenders. To support children exposed to violence, Children’s Institute, Inc. (CII) will expand existing services to include an emerging violent crime hot spot and provide support for all violent crime scenes, not just those involving gun or gang violence. Support services will include rapid onsite response at crime scenes, counseling, follow-up support, leveraged evidence-based mental health care, linkage to additional resources, concrete supports, and large-scale community education and support building events.

To increase accountability and provide additional supports for juvenile offenders, CII will leverage existing funding to offer evidence-based mental health services, such as functional family therapy. The youth will also be provided with a leadership group using the Wyman Teen Outreach Program, a promising practice. Through this group, youth will have the opportunity to build prosocial skills and reestablish positive community connections. Youth will also be offered employment-focused services using the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support model to help them identify and secure employment, an important protective factor.

CII will provide a series of quarterly awareness events targeting children and families who have been impacted by violence. These events will create a shared community experience and build understanding of resources to mitigate the impact of trauma. CA/NCF