Supervisor Preston Calls for Proactive Mental Health Response for Communities Traumatized by Gun Violence
SAN FRANCISCO — After partnering with the Department of Public Health (DPH) to conduct outreach and offer mental health services to residents following a fatal shooting in the Fillmore, Supervisor Dean Preston on Tuesday called for the City to create and implement a protocol to proactively conduct outreach and provide mental health resources for all communities in the immediate aftermath of gun violence. The City currently has rapid response protocols to support community following traffic fatalities, police shootings, and other specified events, yet there is no protocol or coordinated system to provide counseling and support to witnesses and neighbors following a fatal shooting. The resolution, co-sponsored by President Shamann Walton and Supervisors Hillary Ronen, Connie Chan, and Gordon Mar calls for DPH to develop a draft protocol within 30 days.
“After meeting with a sobbing mother and her young son, both clearly in shock because of bullets that went through their apartment, I spent weeks trying to arrange outreach and support for neighbors like them who are suffering,” said Supervisor Preston. “There’s no City protocol to reach out to neighbors and witnesses proactively after a shooting, and that needs to change immediately.”
“Unfortunately, in our community we have continuously dealt with the effects of gun violence. We must provide services to all individuals affected by gun violence, which includes people who live in close proximity to shootings and people who are traumatized by these acts,” said Board President and cosponsor Shamann Walton. “A lot of times the impact of shootings to the surrounding community is underestimated and we need to ensure that everyone affected is supported.”
Gun violence is a nationwide crisis and a persistent reality in San Francisco, disproportionately impacting low-income Black and brown communities. The Center for Disease Control has long recognized that communities dealing with shooting-related trauma can experience significant physical injuries and mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, untreated trauma related to community violence may also lead to increased risk of developing chronic diseases when concerns about violence prevent residents from walking, bicycling, and using parks or other recreational spaces in their neighborhoods.
Although the Department of Public Health, Street Violence Intervention Program, and other partners provide wraparound services for direct victims of gun violence, no protocol currently exists to ensure that other affected community members have access to mental health services or counseling. Countless residents impacted by gun violence in their communities are unaware that they can access trauma counseling services through the city.
“When shootings occur in other communities, schools, or community spaces, it’s automatic for the children, families, and neighborhoods to be flooded with resources and support,” said Ericka Scott, Board Secretary for the Fillmore Collaborative. “Unfortunately, in Black communities, we suffer in silence and isolation. We too often have to walk past deceased bodies and carry on through our day. We need to be seen. Immediate services should be deployed rather than us having to search for support during a time of intense trauma.”
The Resolution directs the Department of Public Health to consult with other departments and community partners to develop a protocol for proactive outreach to communities following any instances of gun violence and file the proposed within thirty days. The protocol will include, at minimum, outreach to communities within 48 hours following an incident of gun violence and at least one well-publicized outreach event within a week to offer counseling, referrals, and other needed services to the community.
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