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Twenty hours elapsed in early March between the time a man killed two women and three children with a gun on Cleveland's west side, and the time he was apprehended by police. Events related to the discovery of the victims and the search for the assailant were directly witnessed by those in the community, and indirectly witnessed by others on televised news reports.

Rachel Dissell, in her article for The Plain Dealer, states that, according to experts, "... the community needs to deal with the trauma that can extend beyond the house where surviving children witnessed horrific violence." Rosemary Creeden (photo at right), Manager of the Children Who Witness Violence (CWWV) program, was one of the experts consulted for this story. Ms Creeden has led the CWWV program since its inception in 1999, and has provided pivotal leadership for other MHS programs that address traumatic stress due to violent events.

"Children need to be able to talk about how what they saw made them feel," Ms Creeden told the reporter, adding "... that children who live with or have lived in a situation with domestic violence may have a heightened fear that the same thing could happen to them."

NAMI, a national mental health advocacy organization, gave the state of Ohio a grade of "C" for its public mental health care, according to article in The Plain Dealer of Friday, 13 March 2009. NAMI conducted an evaluation of each state's public mental health care "based on funding and other criteria."

Ohio had earned a grade of "B" when the last report card was issued three years ago.

Judy Peters of the Mental Health Advocacy Coalition told The Plain Dealer that the Ohio Department of Mental Health "is cutting $30 million from community services," meaning "less capacity, more unserved folks, more pressure on law enforcement and horrendous pressure on families ..."

MHS was awarded $3 million in homeless assistance grants in the fiscal year (FY) 2008 nationwide competition for Supportive Housing Program funds from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). HUD announced that it will fund more than 6,300 homeless assistance projects nationwide with grant awards totaling nearly $1.6 billion.

All six renewal applications that MHS submitted to HUD in October 2008 were funded. In addition, HUD funded Edgewood Park, a new MHS permanent housing program for homeless adults who have schizophrenic or other severe mental disorders. This program is expected to begin late this year. A newly-constructed building on East 55th Street in Cleveland will have 63 one-bedroom apartments. The program will also support 20 scattered-site apartments. Based on the "Housing First" model, the project is a partnership between EDEN, Inc. the property owner and manager, and MHS, the applicant and lead service provider. The AIDS Taskforce will also be a partner on this project, serving participants who have HIV/AIDS. Finally, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center will serve about 20 veterans. The program will promote the development of life skills, and participation in the community as family members, volunteers, workers and citizens.

Throughout Ohio, FY-2008 HUD grants for homeless assistance and emergency shelter programs totaled $82.3 million, 17% more than the FY-2007 total of $70.5 million. Total HUD funds awarded to these programs in Ohio was $64 million in FY-2006, nearly $65 million in FY-2005, $68.5 million in FY-2004, $60 million in FY-2003, and $55.6 million in FY-2002.

In Cuyahoga County, HUD grants to 35 homeless assistance programs totaled $10.8 million. HUD also awarded $11.2 million in Shelter+Care funding for Cuyahoga County. HUD homeless assistance and Shelter+Care funds support permanent and transitional housing for those with disabling conditions, in addition to job training, health care, mental health counseling, and substance abuse treatment. Finally, HUD awarded $1.2 million for the operation of emergency homeless shelters in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.

Homeless assistance grants were made to 13 nonprofit organizations that are part of the Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Continuum of Care. The Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services (OHS) leads the County's Continuum of Care homeless assistance and emergency shelter projects. HUD grants to Cuyahoga County Continuum of Care projects totaled $22.1 million in FY-2007, $21.1 million in FY-2006, $20.5 million in FY-2005, $18.7 million in FY-2004, $15 million in FY-2003, and $14.4 million in FY-2002.

The capacity of Cuyahoga County to consistently win competitive HUD funding awards is largely due to the diligent efforts of the Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services (OHS), led by Ruth Gillett (photo at right). Created in 1992, OHS leads and coordinates the efforts of the Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Continuum of Care, a network of community organizations working collaboratively to reduce and prevent homelessness; provide accessible, coordinated, and comprehensive services for homeless persons; and increase permanent housing opportunities for low-income and chronically homeless persons.

Ruth Gillett,
OHS Program Manager

The career of Cleveland Police Chief Michael McGrath was featured in an article in The Plain Dealer of Sunday, 15 February 2009. His four-year tenure as the Police Chief -- the second longest in 40 years -- is an indication of how effectively he has earned the confidence of two mayors (who appoint the Chief) and the citizens of Cleveland.

McGrath's support of the clients and mission of MHS has been invaluable during his time as Fourth District Commander (1997-2005), and since he was appointed Chief of Police in March 2005. For example, the Children Who Witness Violence program helps children traumatized by their experience of domestic violence and other violent events. Police officers from participating communities refer children to the program from the scene of violent incidents.

Cleveland was among the first of only five communities to make a commitment to participate in the program, and Chief McGrath was instrumental in helping CWWV staff members establish referral protocols that made sense to the police officers who were referring children to the program. Thank you, Chief McGrath!

Chief McGrath also helped MHS to understand the harsh realities confronted by family members of homicide victims, and how their needs could best be served. This information helped MHS to submit a compelling proposal to the U.S. Department of Justice to create a system of comprehensive and culturally-competent services that effectively address the practical and psychological needs of family members during the three-month period after a homicide.

Because of Chief McGrath, the Cleveland Division of Police is a collaborative partner in the project, refering family members for services, and helping MHS develop protocols for prompt and efficient service provision.