Advocacy for Change

To push for permanent, systemic solutions to the daily violence terrorizing our community and city, Youth ALIVE!’s Advocacy for Change (A4C) program raises the voices of those most affected by violence. Through A4C, the Youth ALIVE! family—including clients, survivors, program staff, and our Teens on Target youth leaders—address city, state

Advocacy Highlights

AB 1929: Medi-Cal for Violence Prevention Services

On 8/22/22, Governor Newsom signed our bill, AB 1929, into law, making California the fifth state to allow Medicaid to reimburse violence prevention services. Youth ALIVE!’s advocacy and expertise was pivotal in creating and securing this policy change, with our staff testifying at the State Capitol and meeting with state senators and assembly members to build support for the bill.

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

Our Policy and Advocacy Director, Gabriel Garcia, traveled to the White House in July to celebrate Congress passing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which includes $250 million for Community Violence Intervention (CVI), the largest federal investment in CVI work ever.

Victim Compensation Budget

In the State Senate, Senator Nancy Skinner passed a state budget item increasing funding for the California Victim Compensation Program, and increasing the maximum amounts survivors can receive for their needs, including:

» Raising the limits for the first time in 20 years for:

· Funeral and burial expenses

· Relocation expenses

· Crime scene clean up expenses

» $23 Million for Trauma Recovery Centers

» $50 million for Flexible Assistance to Survivors of Violence and federal leaders to advocate for sensible policies that reduce community violence and that promote a public health approach to violence prevention. A4C works with violence prevention coalitions, proposes and analyzes policy, gives testimony to legislators, and conducts community outreach.

Victim Compensation Reform

We sponsored two bills in the State Capitol that would create significant reforms to the California Victim Compensation Program. Although neither bill passed, we are determined to continue pushing to ensure more victims and survivors have access to these healing resources.

Senate Bill 933: Expanded Services for Crime Survivors Would have removed several barriers to eligibility for victim compensation that Youth ALIVE! clients face, such as automatically being disqualified if a survivor does not cooperate with law enforcement investigations.

Senate Bill 299: Equal Access for Victims of Police Violence

Extends eligibility for the Victim Compensation Program to victims of police violence, and ensures the survivors of homicide victims can receive benefits regardless of whether they cooperate with police. Also makes sure that biased or unfair police reports do not prevent people from getting the healing resources they need.

This work requires constant, intentional outreach, creating platforms to hear directly from those closest to the issue and convert what they are saying into policy change. It is something that, because of our position in the community, really only Youth ALIVE! is able to do.

- Gabriel Garcia, Youth ALIVE! Policy & Advocacy Director