Board approves CVIP subcontracts to continue nonfatal‑shooting supports; members press for data and clarity on scope

On Aug. 6, 2025, the Board of Public Health and Safety approved a group of subrecipient contracts under the Community Violence Intervention Program (CVIP) grant to continue a nonfatal‑shooting (NFS) response program first funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, Alexis Webster, assistant CFO for IMPD, told the board.

The board voted, by individual motions for each agenda item, to adopt the contracts listed as agenda items 080625B through 080625F. The item that included a specific dollar amount was IU Health Methodist Hospital (agenda item 080625B), a three‑year contract with a not‑to‑exceed amount of $146,250 that Webster said is intended to run through September 2027 (about $50,000 per year). The contracts with Inner Beauty, Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church, Eskenazi Health and Voices Inc. were described as subrecipient slots bought through the CVIP grant; contract amounts for those vendors were not specified during the meeting.

IMPD and Office of Public Health and Safety staff said the CVIP award continues services begun under ARPA for a program that pairs on‑scene or referred people affected by nonfatal shootings with follow‑up supports: mental‑health treatment, housing assistance and gender‑specific cohorts when appropriate. "What will happen is people that we come into contact with through this NFS program will be referred to the programs," Alexis Webster said, adding IU will "provide follow‑up care" and therapeutic services for victims and others affected by shootings.

Several board members questioned whether treatment provided after incidents fits the narrower concept of "crime prevention" and urged clearer reporting on outcomes and overlap with other city‑administered prevention funds. "It wasn't the original intent of the crime prevention funds," one board member said, expressing concern that emphasizing post‑event treatment could reduce funds available for upstream prevention efforts.

Staff responded that CVIP is a broader community violence intervention effort and that program designers included trauma treatment because they and prior evaluators saw mental‑health services as part of preventing future violence. "There are deliverables associated with this grant," Debbie Hall, CFO for IMPD, said. "We will be reporting quarterly on our progress, who we're serving, what services they're receiving." Webster and Hall also described coordination with other city agencies and partner organizations to address housing and other needs for participants.

Board members pressed for additional clarity about partner populations and service capacity. Webster said Voices serves youth ages 13 to 24 and that Inner Beauty and other partners were chosen because they were original partners in the ARPA iteration of the program; however, a board member noted conflicting age ranges for Inner Beauty on its website and asked staff to resolve that discrepancy in follow‑up. Members also suggested staff reach out to other community groups (one member recommended Ladies Under Construction) to build capacity and reduce reliance on a small number of recurring partners.

Each of the subrecipient contracts (agenda items 080625B, C, D, E and F) was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Contracts approved (as discussed at the meeting): - 080625B: IU Health Methodist Hospital — NTE $146,250; three‑year term ending Sept. 2027; primary service: mental‑health follow‑up care for NFS referrals. - 080625C: Inner Beauty — scope: gender‑specific programming for young women (age range to be clarified in follow‑up); funds continued from ARPA iteration. - 080625D: Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church — vendor for male‑focused programming/boot camp identified in discussion. - 080625E: Eskenazi Health — food‑access services as part of wraparound supports. - 080625F: Voices Inc. — youth services; referenced age range 13–24.

Staff committed to share quarterly performance data with the board and to look for ways to expand community provider participation and capacity.