LifeBridge Community Services, a leading provider of behavioral health services in greater Bridgeport, has secured a $200,000 grant to promote positive outcomes in one of Bridgeport’s largest high schools by training school personnel, implementing social-emotional learning (SEL) programming, and increasing students’ access to mental health services. The Community Violence Intervention grant is funded by Connecticut Department of Public Health and administered by Connecticut Children’s Injury Prevention Center. Funding is awarded to community-based organizations and municipal entities to provide community violence intervention and prevention services.
“LifeBridge partners with schools, healthcare providers, law enforcement officials, and the public to help prevent acts of violence, treat the effects of exposure to violence, and to promote trauma-informed practices. This programming was developed in partnership based on identified needs, and we look forward to continuing our work with Principal Thompson and the Harding High School community,” explained Edith Boyle, President and Chief Executive Officer at LifeBridge.
Bridgeport’s violent crime rate is 75% higher than the national average and has the highest number of family homicide victims in the state. Since schools resumed in-person learning post-pandemic, incidents involving weapons increased by 79% and physical/verbal confrontations increased by 38% statewide. In addition to violence and safety, access to mental health services has emerged as one of the top issues of greatest concern in the Bridgeport region to reduce the prevalence of unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Principal Vernon Thompson of Warren Harding High School added, “LifeBridge will provide an extra layer of support for my team and students to reduce adverse incidents, suspensions, and expulsions and improve student functioning, social connectedness, and resilience.”
About LifeBridge
LifeBridge Community Services is a leading non-profit provider of behavioral healthcare in greater Bridgeport, supporting children, adolescents, and adults through mental health and substance use recovery. LifeBridge is a member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network – a collective effort to raise the standard of care and improve access to evidence-based services for children experiencing trauma nationwide and facilitates Connecticut’s first Trauma-Informed Community of Practice (TI-CoP). For more information, visit www.LifeBridgeCT.org.