Additional neighborhood trauma team launched in Grove Hall by Mayor Walsh

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced an additional Neighborhood Trauma Team dedicated to Grove Hall will soon begin its service, increasing capacity to the citywide network's ability to support Boston residents impacted by trauma. Project RIGHT Inc. and Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center were selected to partner with the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) to further provide greater community outreach and support to Grove Hall residents.

"Being there for each other is at the heart of what makes Boston's neighborhoods strong. Our trauma teams work collaboratively to coordinate a citywide response and recovery network," said Mayor Walsh. "We are breaking the cycle of suffering by investing in neighborhood programs like these. It is an honor to announce that BPHC, Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center and Project RIGHT are partnering to form this new neighborhood trauma team."

In his FY19 budget, Mayor Walsh made an additional investment of $284,000 to support the growth of the Neighborhood Trauma Team Network, bringing the total investment to $1,284,000 in the last three years. This additional investment further strengthened the citywide network of neighborhood trauma teams in Dorchester, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, East Boston, and Mattapan, that offer immediate support to residents and ongoing access to evidence-based trauma treatment.

The Neighborhood Trauma Team Network provides resources that include:

• Access to 24-hour trauma hotline at 617-431-0125,
• Immediate crisis response services,
• Referral to ongoing behavioral health services for individuals and families in need of ongoing and long-term support for trauma recovery,
• Trauma support during vigils,
• Memorial and funeral services,
• Support for neighborhood outreach and education,
• Trauma education and support at community meetings, and
• Community coping/healing groups.

"The addition of the Grove Hall Neighborhood Trauma is a concerted effort between the City and our community partners to break the cycle of suffering that prevents our communities from thriving," said Chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez. "While we work to strengthen our trauma services, we will continue to build trust and strengthen our connection to the community so our residents can confidently increase support systems and access vital resources in a time of most need."

Mayor Walsh launched the Neighborhood Trauma Teams to strengthen efforts to support Boston residents impacted by violence. Managed by the Boston Public Health Commission, and co-led in each neighborhood by teams consisting of a community health center and a community partner, the teams are supported through a combination of City funding and grants from Boston Children's Hospital Boston and Partners HealthCare System.

"This grant award is quite timely and much needed," said Mike Kozu, Deputy Director of Project RIGHT. "Too many of our young people and residents that have been exposed to violence have not addressed how the impact of trauma has affected their lives. We look forward to expand the support we provide in the community by being there after violence happens to share information about the services we offer as a Neighborhood Trauma Team."

"We know that gun violence disproportionately damages communities of color, and research proves that witnesses to gun violence are at serious risk for trauma, depression, anxiety and other devastating health problems," said Stan A. McLaren, president and CEO of the Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center. "We are grateful that funding for this important initiative will help our community to address the aftermath of exposure to violence."

"We have intentionally built each of the teams as partnerships between a community group and a health center so that they can take an authentic and trauma-informed approach in the work they do. The addition of the Grove Hall team to the city's NTT network has already added on-the-ground incident response capacity upon which we will build in the coming months," said Monica Valdes Lupi, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission.

About the Boston Public Health Commission

The Boston Public Health Commission, one of the country's first health departments, is an independent public agency providing a wide range of health services and programs. It is governed by a seven-member board of health appointed by the Mayor of Boston.

Public service and access to quality health care are the cornerstones of our mission - to protect, preserve, and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, particularly those who are most vulnerable. The Commission's more than 40 programs are grouped into six bureaus: Child, Adolescent & Family Health; Community Health Initiatives; Homeless Services; Infectious Disease; Recovery Services; and Emergency Medical Services.