Council approves funding extensions for LA Bridges intervention and case management

The Los Angeles City Council approved three measures to continue and supplement funding for LA Bridges, the city's youth intervention program, addressing case-management needs and short-term grants for job-placement and intervention services.

Community providers and case managers told the council that case-management positions are central to the Bridges model because managers coordinate services for youth, families and schools and provide follow-up after referrals. Henry Toscano, Tammy Membrano and other program staff described caseloads and the services case managers provide, saying additional staff are needed to prevent staff burnout and to maintain school and court coordination.

Councilmember Ridley-Thomas, who chaired the Bridges ad hoc review, argued the program has been carefully monitored and praised it as a model that brings uniformity and accountability to youth services. He said the items before council would secure roughly $700,000 in available funds (a mix of previous awards and pending Department of Justice grant opportunities) to support job-development work, case managers, and short-term intervention allocations that otherwise would lapse June 30.

Councilmember Hernandez explained the city's strategy to preserve eligibility for a Department of Justice grant with a March 17 application deadline and requested flexibility in how that grant might be used, noting the controller's audit of the program was not yet final. The council approved the three items on the consent of the floor; the roll call recorded the items as approved.

Speakers representing lead agencies said the programhas helped keep students in school and connected to services and urged continued city support.