NEW ORLEANS – This week, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office (OPDA) launched a public awareness campaign to bring heightened attention to the impacts of COVID-19 on public safety in New Orleans. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been increases in juvenile violence and truancy, domestic violence, substance use, mental health crises, and similar challenges that have affected our community’s well-being. Funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Grant 4484, the campaign will aid OPDA in working to combat these challenges by proactively providing information and resources for those in need on the newly-created HELPNOLA.com.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly impacted us all. There’s been an increase in domestic violence, drug abuse, and mental health crises. Many of the issues that affect public safety have gone unnoticed,” said District Attorney Jason Williams. “We must come together in this moment, as we’ve always done in New Orleans, to lift each other up. If you need help or know someone who may need help, our office, and non-profit partners throughout New Orleans, are standing by to provide resources and assistance. So get vaccinated, get your booster dose, and reach out. Let’s get through these challenges together.”
In collaboration with a number of partners across New Orleans, OPDA is directing individuals to resources to assist with juvenile support/truancy, crime survivors, mental health issues, substance use, domestic violence, sexual assault survivors, child abuse, elder abuse, healthcare, education, and COVID-19. Organizations providing resources include New Orleans Family Justice Center, NOLA Public Schools, Youth Empowerment Project, Children’s Bureau of New Orleans, Daughters Beyond Incarceration, New Orleans Police Department Victim Assistance Unit, Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office Crime Victims Reparations, Metro Center for Community Advocacy, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, Children Hospital New Orleans/LCMC Health – Audrey Hepburn CARE Center, Bridge House/Grace House, Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention & Recovery Center, University Medical Center SAFE Department – HOPE Clinic, Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response, National Alliance on Mental Illness New Orleans, Mental Health America – Louisiana, Covenant House, Odyssey House Louisiana, Elder Abuse and Elderly Protective Services, New Orleans Health Department, Women with a Vision, DePaul Community Health Centers, In + Out Urgent Care, and Ochsner Urgent Care.
For more, visit HELPNOLA.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @OrleansParishDA.
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