Family service agency (FSA) and lompoc unified school district (lusd) are proposing the lompoc schools and community safety project to support threat assessment efforts and mental health services…

The Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County and Lompoc Unified School District will receive $999,994 under the STOP School Violence Program Formula Grant awarded by the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance. The funding will support the Lompoc Schools and Community Safety Project from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2024.

Under the award, Family Service Agency will provide school-based mental health counselors and a family advocate at select schools in Lompoc Unified based on needs assessments. The District will hire a school safety liaison and update threat assessment procedures and safety plans across the District using the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines model. Lompoc Unified will also implement the Navigate360 behavioral threat assessment and ALICE active shooter training programs. The project aims to reduce school violence, increase perceptions of safety, and improve mental health and family stability outcomes for students.

Family service agency (FSA) and lompoc unified school district (lusd) are proposing the lompoc schools and community safety project to support threat assessment efforts and mental health services for lusd. This is a category 2 threat assessment project. Lusd has 9,361 students, 66.3% of whom are socioeconomically disadvantaged and 67.4% are latinx. Lompoc is in an economically depressed part of santa barbara county, california. So far, as of july 14, 2021 lompoc has seen a 50% increase in the number of community shootings over the same time period last year. FSA will provide school-based mental health counselors for three elementary schools and a school-based family advocate for one elementary school. Lusd will hire a school safety liaison. These staff persons will serve at selected schools based on demographic data on the percentage of underserved students, active gang violence in their areas, and number of suspensions and high-needs behaviors. Lusd will also update its districtwide threat assessment using the evidence-based comprehensive school threat assessment guidelines, and each school in the district will update its threat assessment procedures and school safety plan accordingly. Lusd will purchase and implement the NAVIGATE360 behavioral threat assessment and alice active shooter training and drills. Project outcomes will include reduced incidences of school violence; increased sense of lusd safety among pupils, staff, and parents; reduced ptsd, depression, and/or emotional/behavioral issues of students receiving counseling; and an increase in stability or self-sufficiency of families after working with the family advocate.