Harrisburg, PA - — A new state initiative spearheaded by Lt. Gov. Austin Davis is moving forward as the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) announced the availability of $1 million in grant funding to conduct a needs assessment and identify gaps in support for Pennsylvanians who are victims of gun violence.
“Every Pennsylvanian – no matter what they look like, what zip code they live in – should have the freedom to be safe and feel safe in their community,” said Davis. “As chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, I have charged the commission and their Victims Services Advisory Committee with making sure we leave no community behind, that we leave no victim behind. Every victim of a mass shooting, every family member who has lost a loved one to gun violence, every single Pennsylvanian touched by this epidemic should receive the support and services to which they’re entitled. That’s what this initiative is about, and I’m grateful to Senator Bob Casey and Congressman Dwight Evans for inspiring this new effort to help gun violence victims heal.”
In June, Davis joined U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, and U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans to announce the new state initiative to support victims of gun violence and directed PCCD to gather and disseminate information about the resources, programs and benefits that help victims. Casey and Evans have proposed legislation at the federal level, the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act, which would take similar action nationwide.
“While we continue to fight for common-sense measures to prevent gun violence in our communities, we owe it to survivors and their loved ones and caregivers to make sure they have the support they need to recover and move forward from gun violence,” said Casey. “I introduced the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act to better connect survivors, families and caregivers to resources that support their recovery and help them mitigate the effects of these preventable tragedies. I am grateful to Lieutenant Governor Davis for spearheading this effort at the state level to ensure these measures are taken to help Pennsylvanians.”
“Senator Casey and I introduced the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act because we saw a need to better coordinate resources for victims and survivors of gun violence,” said Evans. “I thank Lieutenant Governor Davis for implementing this common-sense idea at the state level – in addition to helping many Pennsylvanians, I think this will show how our legislation can help victims and survivors across the country. Pennsylvania is leading the way.”
Starting today, PCCD’s Victims Services Advisory Committee (VSAC) is soliciting grant applications for the new Resources for Gun Violence Victims Needs Assessment and Technical Assistance (TA) Initiative. Over a two-year project period, PCCD will fund a $1 million grant to analyze statewide gaps and needs and support efforts to improve case management and navigation programs to connect victims to critical services and access effective interventions. The objectives and anticipated impacts resulting from this solicitation include:
- Conducting a comprehensive needs assessment to understand the experiences and needs of gun violence victims and victim assistance professionals;
- Designing and launching a pilot strategy to establish a centralized “one-stop shop” for victims and communities impacted by gun violence, modeled after a resiliency center approach response to mass violence incidents; and
- Providing gun violence victims/survivors and community members access to resources to address long-term impacts of gun violence.
Applications must be submitted electronically through PCCD’s Egrants system no later than 11:59 PM on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. Questions regarding this funding and the application process should be forwarded to RA-PCCD_ExecutiveOfc@pa.gov by close of business on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023.
Funding for this grant is coming from federal dollars under Pennsylvania’s Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) and funding plan, which the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance approved earlier this summer.
In this funding plan, PCCD committed to use up to $3 million in SCIP State Share funds to develop and pilot a new strategy to coordinate outreach and service delivery in an area of Philadelphia with chronic and/or increasing levels of gun violence, modeled off the resiliency center approach utilized by the Federal Office for Victims of Crime. The remaining $2 million in SCIP funds will be made available following the development of a pilot strategy and site focused on a neighborhood with chronic and/or increasing levels of gun violence in Philadelphia.
You can learn more about VSAC and other PCCD gun violence-related initiatives on the PCCD website.
MEDIA CONTACT: Ali Gantz - algantz@pa.gov
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