ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and Director of Community Development with a Request to APPROVE Funding for the VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM, in the Amount of $1,416,581.31.
Body
BACKGROUND: On August 29, 2022, City Council approved the application and program guidelines for Violence Prevention funding.
The second round of the application was released on April 10th and applications were due on May 12th. Twenty-six (26) completed applications were received requesting a total of over $6.5 million.
The applications were reviewed and scored by the CDBG Public Services Advisory Commission. The scores received were averaged to create an average score on the attached file. Starting with the highest score, applications were provided full funding until the $1,200,000 available was allocated. Applications falling under Workforce Training were scored separately and the highest scoring applications were provided full funding until the $300,000 available was allocated. No partial funding will be awarded.
If approved, agreements will be created for the timeframe of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024.
A summary of the applications is below: (summaries taken from the applications.)
01. Greater Peoria Family YMCA: Teen REACH - This program will focus on at-risk youth, ages 10 to 15, with the goal of providing opportunities that empower and encourage youth to achieve positive growth and development, improve expectations and capacities for future success, and avoid and/or reduce risk-taking behavior. This is achieved by addressing 6 key foundational elements including: improving educational performance, life skill education, parental/guardian involvement, recreation, sports, cultural and artistic activities, mentorship, and service-learning opportunities.
02. Peoria Public Schools: Getting to the Roots - This program will focus on three core strategies to combat concerns present in Peoria Public Schools. This program will provide students much needed counseling and support to address anger and frustration which is leading them to aggressive acts, as well as providing opportunities for voice and choice through prevention activities. The program will also provide literacy instruction to assist with the extreme need for students to be reading by second grade.
03. Peoria Regional Office of Education: Project S.T.A.R.T. (Stop Truancy and Recommend Treatment) Peoria - This program will expand ROE 48’s services to create a truancy advisory board. This advisory board will provide case management services to students and families experiencing truancy and help transition them back to full-time school attendance. Case work for individual families will extend as long as the family needs support for school attendance. The service expansions will promote early intervention, school attendance, reduce barriers to students and their families, and build relationships with the students so they feel welcome, respected, safe, and engaged.
04. Peoria City/County Health Department: Cure Violence - This program frames violence as a health issue and utilizes evidence-based inputs towards a goal of decreasing violence in data-identified hot zones. Cure Violence is focused on interrupting violence, preventing additional violence, and changing a community's acceptance of violence. Inputs include street intervention, client outreach, clergy involvement, community mobilization, educational campaigns, and police and prosecution.
05. Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois: Revive: Youth Mental Health Support - This program provides support to youths with unmet mental health needs. Revive has added a full-time Mental Health Advocate to the Goodwill Youth Services team for the purpose of providing trauma-informed mental health and social/emotional support to youth and adults across the city of Peoria. The Youth Mental Health Advocate will directly provide all services.
06. Workforce Training: Friendship House of Christian Services: Pathway to Your Future - This program will help bridge the gaps between the school district and support services needed for our students with weekly recommendations from the school district for families. This program offers a unique new innovative form of teaching our youth. Virtual Reality Goggles (VR) transforms the training environment from a more passive approach of traditional safety training to a dynamic hands-on learning experience.
All applications can be found at the following link:
<https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iici2qnmkapp680/AABbLkGhqOAKSMiLzrpvwJzQa?dl=0>
FINANCIAL IMPACT: A total of $1,416,581.31 will be awarded with ARPA and DCEO funds.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: The programs respond to neighborhood concerns of violence.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: The subrecipients would be approved and agreements would be entered into with each organization.
IMPACT IF DENIED: The subrecipients would not be approved.
ALTERNATIVES: None at this time.
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: All subrecipients will have active EEO numbers.
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL’S 2017 - 2032 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Safe Peoria
2. Financially Sound City
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Reduce crime.
2. Reinvest in neighborhoods.
3. Have an efficient government.
DEPARTMENT: Community Development