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Families and volunteers urge board not to cut community violence response funding
Summary
Multiple survivors, volunteers and CVRT staff urged supervisors to preserve or replace funding for the Community Violence Response Team (CVRT), describing grief counseling and on‑scene family support that would be lost if MHSA preventative funds are reclassified.
Several speakers at non‑agenda public comment urged the board to retain funding for the Community Violence Response Team (CVRT), a community‑based program that provides grief counseling, on‑scene family support after violent deaths, long‑term mentorship and youth programming. CVRT leaders and survivors described the team’s role in helping families navigate trauma, attend court, and access resources; several said the program had sustained them after murder of family members.
Speakers said recent changes in funding categories tied to Proposition 1 (MHSA reclassification) and other budget decisions have put CVRT support at risk and asked the board to identify alternative local funding or reallocate dollars so the program can continue. Vice Chair Montgomery Stepp acknowledged the importance of CVRT and committed to meeting with the executive director to explore options, while noting that some funding shifts are driven by programmatic reclassification.
The board signaled willingness to work with community leaders to identify alternatives but did not make a formal appropriation at the hearing. Several supervisors expressed personal commitment to finding replacement funding streams and to meeting with CVRT leadership to discuss near‑term solutions.
