Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer’s Office has received $7 million in two federal grants, including $5 million from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration and $2 million from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance, to expand the Children Exposed to Gun Violence Program in South Los Angeles.

Feuer launched the Children Exposed to Gun Violence Program in 2018 through the REACH Team, a partnership with Children’s Institute that provides crisis intervention and short-term and long-term mental health support for children and families exposed to gun violence.

“We’re taking action because the impact of trauma caused by gun violence extends long after the event and well beyond a shooting’s direct victims. Children, in particular, bear the consequences. And without timely and effective intervention, the brains of children exposed to gun violence will never be the same,” Feuer said. “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.”

The REACH Team provides therapy to children and their families, and education through presentations in the community and schools. The $7 million in grant funds will expand services to address trauma, implement the Teen Outreach Program in multiple locations, add a community conflict resolution program and improve the physical, social and economic conditions that perpetuate violence. The REACH Team will address community violence and promote community resilience, and services will focus on primary and secondary victims to prevent future offenders, including children, teens and adults.

For information, visit lacityattorney.org.