STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — As city officials grapple with the wave of teen violence that saw the deaths of four Staten Island children this year, trauma response units will be stationed at borough neighborhoods and schools impacted by the tragedies.
City Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks announced the activation of the response plan to address the youth violence crisis on Staten Island.
Hanks (D-North Shore) has worked in collaboration with the Department of Youth & Community Development and the mayor’s office to create a strategic response plan to ensure the “safety and well-being” of Staten Island’s young people.
The multi-step plan outlines resources and mobile trauma units for areas significantly affected by the surge in violence.
The mobile trauma units will be stationed in the Park Hill section of Clifton, Stapleton, New Brighton, Port Richmond and Mariners Harbor to provide immediate assistance and support to residents in need.
According to NYC.gov, mobile trauma units provide trauma responses and connections to resources within specified precinct areas to intervene with events that have the potential to turn violent.
The city will also support the mental health of young Islanders by offering therapeutic services at several schools within the borough, according to a press release issued by Hanks’ office.
The schools benefiting from these services include Dreyfus Intermediate School (I.S. 49), Eagle Academy and PS 78, all in Stapleton; Morris Intermediate School (I.S. 61) in Brighton Heights; PS 57 in Clifton; Concord High School, Curtis High School, and Bernstein Intermediate School (I.S. 7) in Huguenot.
The city hopes to create a “nurturing and secure” environment for the students by extending mental health support to those schools.
“Ensuring the safety of our youth is paramount, and this collaborative response plan underscores our commitment to creating a secure environment for all residents of Staten Island,” Hanks said in a statement. “By providing…
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