Domestic violence and mental health programs to get federal support
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008U.S. Attorney General pledges more support for New Orleans
by Gwen Filosa, The Times-Picayune
Monday May 19, 2008, 2:55 PM
The New Orleans region is in pressing need of mental health and drug treatment support in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, said U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Monday, after meeting with police officers and viewing the spots where the levee failures that poured agony across the city.
“It is very difficult to get those services,” said Mukasey, of those suffering from addiction and mental illnesses. “As a result, a lot of what otherwise would be productive time of police officers is taken up by having to take people to emergency rooms and sit and wait for beds to open up and so forth.” …
The federal grants included $300,000 to the Family Justice Center, a post-Katrina effort to provide under one roof legal services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Catholic Charities runs the center, which is assisted by Tulane University Law School.
More than $1.7 million will go to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement for domestic violence programs across the state.
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