SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a proposal Thursday to increase funding by $500,000 to provide services to Asian victims of crime who are limited in their English proficiency.
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The Stop AAPI Hate coalition reported more than 10,000 incidents nationwide from March 2020 through September 2021, San Francisco Mayor's Office said in a press release.
Breed said in a press release that while accountability and arrests are important in dealing with hate crimes, the victims also need mental health support, which can be difficult for those with language barriers.
The proposed funding would be split between three support services. $240,000 would be dedicated to trauma recovery clinical services in Cantonese as well as training and technical assistance for community-based providers.
The proposal would allot $160,000 to expand community-based mental health services in Cantonese. The goal is to aid Asian seniors with mental health support as part of their recovery.
Another $59,000 will go to senior escort services citywide to help disabled people get to medical appointments and increase social interaction.
"With these investments from the Mayor’s Office, more Asian victims of crime will have early access to culturally competent mental health services," said Christina Shea, Deputy Chief/Director of Clinical Services at RAMS, Inc. "This is a crucial piece to begin the recovery and healing—to have a means to process their feelings of grief, shock, fear, and anxiety, which could lead to more complex issues in the future, if not supported early on."
Breed has invested in several victim services citywide, including creating a Community Liaison Unit within the San Francisco Police Department to ensure cultural and linguistic competency and investing $3.2 million in wraparound victim services for the Asian and Pacific Islander community.
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