Birmingham, AL – Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) announced that the Help Coalition, Inc. was selected to receive $1 million from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to reduce school violence in Jefferson County public schools. Funding was awarded through DOJ's STOP School Violence Program and was made possible in part by President Biden’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Rep. Sewell was the only member of Alabama’s congressional delegation to vote in favor of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. 

“One of the best ways that we can break the cycle of violence is by intervening early in the lives of our children,” said Rep. Sewell. “By teaching our students about alternatives to violence and connecting them with mental health resources, this project will not only reduce school violence today, but it will pave the way for a safer, stronger community for years to come. As a strong supporter of the Safer Communities Act, I was proud to have played a role in securing this funding. Making our communities safer will remain a top priority of mine.”

The funding will be used to implement the Help Coalition’s Students Avoiding Violence via Empowerment (SAVE) Project which will serve 1,200 Jefferson County, Alabama, public school students. Students will receive evidence-based instruction in violence prevention that will help them avoid or identify dangerous and high-risk behaviors. The project will also provide evidence-based mental health awareness training for 90 teachers over the life of the program and empower them to make referrals to mental health providers when appropriate.

More information on DOJ’s STOP School Violence Program is available here.

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