$5M Grant Aims To Help Reduce Impact of Trauma After Unrest

BALTIMORE (AP) — Health officials say a $5 million federal grant aims to help reduce the impact of trauma and build resilience in central west Baltimore communities affected by unrest after the death of Freddie Gray.

The Baltimore City Health Department announced in a statement Thursday that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded the agency the five-year grant through its Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma program.

The 2015 death of Gray, a 25-year-old black man injured in a police wagon, set off protests and the worst riots in the city in decades. The program will serve three communities affected by the unrest: Sandtown-Winchester, Penn North, and Upton/Druid Heights. Its goal is to help high-risk youth and families through violence prevention, youth engagement and behavioral health services.

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