March 24, 2023
The Honorable Kay Granger The Honorable Rosa DeLauro
Chairwoman Ranking Member
House Committee on Appropriations House Committee on Appropriations H-307 The Capitol 1036 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member DeLauro:
I am requesting funding for the Santa Ana Alternative Response Program project in fiscal year 2024. The entity to receive funding for this project is the City of Santa Ana, and the project is located at 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701.
The funding would be used to expand and support the Santa Ana Multi-Disciplinary Response Teams (SMART), which is a pilot program that deploys trauma-informed social workers and mental health clinicians to respond to non-emergency 911 calls reducing the burden on the City’s public safety system. SMART provides an immediate response to calls for service to the city and to the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) involving individuals experiencing mental health crises and/or substance abuse disorders. Santa Ana has the second highest concentration of homeless individuals in Orange County, thus many of these individuals are homeless.
The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will transition non-emergency calls to subject matter experts who are highly trained in crisis intervention, mental health, addiction, and medical services in order to provide the best response to those in need. This will relieve strain on the city’s law enforcement officials. These experts rely on trauma informed techniques to de-escalate situations and bring them to a non-violent resolution. The Santa Ana SMART program is an important, cost-effective way to relieve pressure on the Santa Ana Police Department while improving public safety outcomes for the City. Further, the program has already proven to reduce the City's homeless population living on the streets—as the pilot has helped over 1,000 individuals connect with housing and shelter.
The project has a Federal nexus because it is consistent with, and supportive of, the Office of Justice Programs’ mission and aligned with one or more of the purposes described in the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) program, section 501 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. § 10152).
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I certify that I have no financial interest in this project, and neither does anyone in my immediate family.
Sincerely,
J. Luis Correa
Member of Congress
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