Grant to Aid Response to Domestic Violence

The White House has approved a $200,000 federal grant to fund the first Valleywide program to provide domestic violence crisis counselors on a 24-hour basis, city officials announced Friday.

The San Fernando Valley was chosen for the pilot program because police in the area have one of the city’s highest rates of domestic violence calls and have few programs to turn to, city officials said.

“This is welcome news,” Mayor Richard Riordan said.

“These funds will help hundreds of Angelenos who are victims of domestic violence, and, hopefully, break the cycle of this dreaded problem.”

Police officials could not provide statistics on domestic violence arrests for this year, but last year the Valley had 2,588, the highest number in the city.

Under the program, 14 part-time and two full-time domestic violence counselors will be trained and put on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to meet with battered victims and children at the hospital and provide them counseling and aid in filing charges.

The proposed pilot program focuses on victims of domestic violence who require medical treatment.

After police respond to a call and help transport the victim to a hospital, counselors are to be notified via phone or beeper to meet with the victim, according to the grant application.

The counselors, who will work out of Haven Hills Domestic Violence Shelter in the West Valley, will then stay with the victim, allowing police to go back into the field to continue the investigation or respond to other calls.

The city expects to get the funds later this summer, after which work will begin to develop the network of agency services and train personnel.

Once the program begins late in the year, counselors plan to help about 300 domestic violence victims and their families in the first year.