MONTGOMERY – Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded a $39,430 grant to the city of Mobile to support a program that will provide mentoring and counseling to at-risk youth.
The Youth Connected project incorporates behavioral therapy with the goal of preventing crime, violence, drug use and gang participation. The Mobile Police Department’s Family Intervention Team will work with Mobile County Public Schools to reach youth in grades 6 through 10 who have been identified as at risk.
“Young people whose lives have been impacted by violence often need guidance to steer them away from destructive lifestyles,” Gov. Ivey said. “This grant will support efforts to mentor youth and prevent crime through early intervention.”
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant with funds made available by the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Unfortunately, some young people are exposed to drugs and crime at an impressionable age and need intervention to avoid following a similar destructive path,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in support of this program and its goals of crime prevention and youth enrichment.”
ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.
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