Abby Hoover
Managing Editor

Jackson County (COMBAT) is accepting online applications for 2021 funding through the end of the month.

COMBAT funding is broken into four categories: violence prevention, substance abuse prevention, substance use treatment and law enforcement school-based initiatives.

Beginning this year, there are now two prevention applications, rather than a single application for both violence and substance abuse prevention.
Jackson County COMBAT seeks to fund violence and substance abuse prevention programs that deliver trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive services to Jackson County residents. Agencies may only apply for either violence prevention or substance abuse prevention funding.

Programs must be evidence- or research-based, and targeted populations must be clearly described and justified as appropriate for an anti-violence or anti-drug funding application. Partnerships are encouraged to take advantage of existing resources, expertise and experience in working with these targeted populations.

Also new this year, applications can only be submitted using the online forms. The deadline is 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Applications received after the deadline will be rejected without review.

Organizations requesting COMBAT funding must have an office in Jackson County and provide services to the county’s residents in Jackson County.

Agencies must be compliant at the time they submit their applications. Questions about compliance/non-compliance issues can be directed to COMBAT Deputy Director Dawna J. Shumate at dshumate@jacksongov.org. Questions about funding applications can be directed to COMBAT Program Administrator Tammie Jordan at tjordan@jacksongov.org.

In 1989, voters approved a quarter-cent sales tax in Jackson County to fund COMBAT for seven years. They voted to renew the tax in 1996, 2003 and 2009. The funds from the sales tax, usually over $19 million, are used solely for the purpose of arrest and prosecution, incarceration, treatment and prevention of drug-related offenses and violent crimes.

During the allocation process, 15% of the funds go to both corrections and treatment, 12% to circuit court, 10 to grant matching, 9.5% each to the Kansas City Police Department, prosecutor’s office and the Jackson County Drug Task force, 7.5% to prevention, and 6% each to DARE and drug court.

In September 2018, a Jackson County judge ruled that the Jackson County Legislature could legally move oversight COMBAT from the Jackson County Executive to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Mattie Rhodes Center’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Program (VIP) is funded in part by COMBAT. The program is a comprehensive framework for positive behavior change, based on prevention strategies that address social ecological factors on an individual, relationship, community and societal level. Specifically, funding goes to after school and summer programming, as well as a majority of the center’s community resource team.

David Stadler, Vice President of Administration & Community Development at Mattie Rhodes,

Stadler said the funding process has always been transparent, and COMBAT uses crime data to focus their efforts.

Without COMBAT funding, Mattie Rhodes Center programming would not be as robust.

“They would still be up and running, but not to the extent that they’re at right now,” Stadler said.

For example, Mattie Rhodes started VIP last year, and because of the funding the program had at the time, it was only able to run it part time.
COMBAT has also funded the center’s addiction treatment program.
Stadler said the impact would be huge on the community if the programs didn’t have COMBAT funding, particularly from an addiction standpoint. Prior funding through other sources meant the program was not to the extent that it is now. With COMBAT funding the program now, a full-time staff person is dedicated to the program.

“The amount of services being provided is through the roof at this point,” Stadler said. “That provider is extremely busy.”

Also in Northeast, Della Lamb Community Services Program helps teach youth alternatives that prevent crime and drug involvement, and reinforce the need to stay in school by offering positive alternative activities for at-risk Kansas City youths ages 10-17.These programs are structured through a neighborhood-based after-school/evening/weekend format and include multiple options for kids to connect with positive, caring adults who offer activities that provide alternatives with impact. Specifically, Della Youth programs offer year-round league athletics. Educationally, Della programs offer kids tutoring and homework help, as well as youth leadership development.