CLEVELAND — News 5 has been following through on the increased demand for mental health services and treatment as homicide rates across Cleveland show no signs of slowing down. In an effort to expand services, Cleveland City Council has awarded funds to area community centers that focus on breaking the cycle of violence and trauma.
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Founder of the Brenda Glass Multipurpose Trauma Center, Brenda Glass has dedicated her life to helping victims of gun violence seek shelter and heal mentally. Services, she said, are hard to find in Cleveland.
“There are rarely any services for gun violence victims,” said Glass. “Domestic violence victims have domestic violence shelters. Single people have homeless shelters, but people with children lack a place to go.”
The Glass Trauma Center has recently been awarded $500,000 by the Cleveland City Council to make needed repairs and upgrades to its undisclosed shelter homes and practice center, which Glass said will expand services. Glass added that demand for services is higher than in years past.
“It’s more high-impact services because a lot of the people we serve we need to relocate,” Glass added.
Glass said since the pandemic, the center couldn't even pay rent at the practice building or utility bills at the shelter homes. She can now get caught up on bills, buy three additional shelter homes, and fix things around the center, like getting new carpet and roofing.
“Now it's an opportunity for us to get geared up and get everything where we want it to be so we can provide more services,” Glass said.
The May Dugan Center, which serves as a multi-service community center, was also awarded half a million dollars. The center in Ohio City is already in the second phase of its $7.6 million renovation, and the grant money will go towards that total cost. Executive Director Rick Kemm said the project will expand services to 2,100 victims of crime, including over 700 behavioral health clients.
“Currently, we were only working in the fourth district,” said Kemm. “With the grant we got funded, we have been able to expand to all five of the police districts. So, we have staff members in each of the five police districts to provide services for people who are victims of crime.”
Records show homicide rates across Cleveland aren't declining, and Glass believes the cycle of violence can be stopped through expanded mental health services. She’s said she's grateful Cleveland City Council agrees.
“The May Dugan Center is the only other center that works with gun violence victims, and I don't think we've realized until now that we don't really have a resource for those individuals,” said Glass.
