LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) — ONE Lexington is working to provide mental health support for Fayette County Public School (FCPS) students impacted by gun violence, using funding from a $500,000 state grant awarded by Gov. Andy Beshear.
As part of this initiative, $150,000 has been allocated to offer trauma support services for FCPS students, recent graduates, and families who have lost loved ones to gun violence. The goal is to remove financial barriers to mental health care and destigmatize seeking help in affected communities.
Addressing a Community-Wide Crisis
“Being able to destigmatize mental health and eliminate that financial barrier is very, very important in our efforts to try to intervene but also prevent gun violence,” said Devine Carama, director of ONE Lexington.
The program is especially focused on Black and brown communities, where youth are disproportionately impacted by gun-related trauma.
“There are kids right here in the East End and in parts of Lexington that endure the impacts of gun violence on a daily basis,” Carama noted.
Long-Term Support for Families
The importance of sustained support became even more evident following the March 4 shooting of a 16-year-old FCPS student. Carama emphasized that healing extends beyond immediate family members to the neighborhood and entire community.
“This isn’t just a specific neighborhood, a specific race—this is a problem for all of us. We are a community. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to lose one,” Carama said.
How to Access Resources
Funds for trauma support will be available through June 30, according to the Fayette Education Foundation. More details on accessing mental health services can be found on the foundation’s official website.
