Santa Clara County gang intervention program gets green light

A Santa Clara County supervisor’s proposal to expand an innovative gang violence prevention program has won unanimous support from the other county supervisors.

Trauma to Triumph has been used nationally and in local trials in partnership with the city of San Jose.

Supervisor Cindy Chavez’s proposal calls for $289,480 for nursing and social work staff at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center who provide intervention counseling services to gang members who are victims of life-threatening injuries from inter-gang violence.

“We’re seeing really great opportunities to serve individuals while they’re in the hospital and, for lack of a better term, a captive audience to talk to about gang intervention,” Chavez said.

The Trauma to Triumph program was added to the proposed Santa Clara County budget on the first day of a weeklong series of public hearings scheduled to conclude Friday with the adoption of a budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.