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Greenfield accepts $500,000 crisis intervention grant to expand school‑based diversion services
Summary
Council approved acceptance of a $500,000 grant and an operational services agreement with SunStreet Centers to expand school‑based intervention and diversion services, adding staff and serving up to 60 additional youth over two years.
The Greenfield City Council on Oct. 14 approved a resolution accepting a $500,000 grant from the Board of State and Community Corrections and authorized a budget appropriation and an operational services agreement with SunStreet Centers to operate the City’s crisis intervention/diversion program at local schools.
City staff said the award was competitive (one of seven at this size in the state) and would fund two years of services. Denise Velasquez, program manager for the Road to Success program at SunStreet Centers, said the grant would fund roughly 1.5 full‑time equivalent staff to be stationed at Greenfield High School and would support prevention and intervention services targeting substance misuse and unlawful behavior. Velasquez said the grant would allow services for an additional 60 students this year; combined with other contracts (20 students under a separate high‑school contract and 40 through Greenfield Unified School District agreements) the partners estimate capacity to serve about 120 youth this year.
Councilmembers praised the partnership among the police department, SunStreet Centers and local schools. Staff said an initial local match that had been contemplated was removed by the state during the award process, so the grant requires no local matching funds.
A motion to accept the grant, approve the budget appropriation and execute the operational services agreement with SunStreet Centers was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.
SunStreet Centers will operate the Road to Success diversion program in cooperation with school and law enforcement partners; staff said the program’s goals include keeping students in school, preventing expulsion and offering diversion pathways that can lead to citation dismissal or expungement at the court’s direction.
