CT Organizations to Receive Gun Violence Prevention Grants

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) has announced its first series of grant awards to seven organizations throughout the state, with the distribution of funds distributed with guidance from the Commission of Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention.

The Commission on Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention was established by the state legislature a year ago (Public Act 22-118) to advise DPH on evidence-based prevention programs and strategies to reduce community gun violence in the state. The commission membership includes numerous health care providers, public health and violence prevention experts, law enforcement officials, and community leaders.

DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, chair of the Commission on Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention, said that DPH contracted with the Connecticut Children’s Injury Prevention Center to initiate a request for proposals process to distribute the available funding. Each of the seven awards are in an amount up to $88,330 annually, for up to three years, for a total of up to $264,990 per award. Connecticut Children’s will provide all seven grant recipients with technical assistance to award grantees to support both fiscal and programmatic administration.

“One of our main goals is to build and foster strong relationships with these local organizations that are involved in community violence and gun violence prevention and intervention,” said Commissioner Juthani. “This funding will support these community-based programs for their growth and expansion to high-risk geographic areas throughout Connecticut.”

The grants are funded by the State General Fund for Gun Violence Prevention as well funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) for community violence prevention programs that address and respond to the increase in homicides. (The Commission on Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention 2022 Annual Report highlights its first year of operations.)

The Commission on Community Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention grant recipients include:

COMPASS Youth Collaborative (Hartford): With grant funding, the COMPASS Youth Collaborative is enlisting a community health worker to connect people affected by violence to resources for basic needs, mental and physical health care, and COMPASS’ own Peacebuilder mentors, who are trained to use cognitive behavioral therapy principles to prevent future violence.

The Justice Education Center (West Hartford/Hartford): In partnership with Community Renewal Team and AuerFarm, the Justice Education Center will operate Project Moo, an initiative that gives youth from Hartford opportunities to develop resilience, empathy, and other social-emotional skills alongside their peers in an agricultural setting.

Connecticut Violence Intervention and Prevention (CTVIP) (New Haven): CTVIP will implement MakeHerSpace, a group violence prevention program tailored to meet the needs of teenage girls in New Haven.

Greater Bridgeport Area Prevention Program (GBAPP) (Bridgeport): GBAPP’s Teen Fathers Program will work with young fathers re-entering the Bridgeport community after being incarcerated; participants will build parenting skills, receive case management, and strengthen their familial relationships.

Career Resources Inc and Hang Time (Bridgeport): Career Resources Inc and Hang Time will use grant funding to expand their existing programs designed to prevent recidivism and youth crime; Hang Time and Her Time are group peer-support programs to build community and re-integration skills among formerly incarcerated people, and CHOICES is a mentorship program for high school athletes in violence-affected communities.

Ledge Light Health District (New London): Ledge Light Health District will use this grant funding to support a community health worker and a team of community ambassadors in New London, who will work with community members to reach their individual health goals and seek to learn more about the specific drivers of violence in New London. LLHD will also partner with Hearing Youth Voices to build community capacity to advocate for local resources and policies to prevent violence.

Roca (Hartford): Roca will use grant funding to provide Hartford mothers aged 14-24, who are at high risk of experiencing or participating in violence, with education engagement, employment readiness training, parenting and life skills programming, cognitive behavioral therapy, and intentional, transformational relationships with outreach workers.