​Commissioner Weinroth announced today that the Palm Beach County has received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to address school and community violence with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. "Keeping our children safe and addressing mental health issues in our community is a priority for me," said Weinroth. "There is a distinct relationship between the lack of mental health resources in our community and problems relating to public safety and drug addiction," he added. 

The grant will require the county to provide a $212,086 match (20 percent), and the money will be allocated for community awareness, personnel, contract services, training, and research.  

Weinroth will continue to work with local officials in procuring funding from outside resources and with experts and professionals in the mental health field on implementing programs.  At a recent Board of County Commissioners strategic planning meeting, he advocated that the county prioritize mental health initiatives. 

The commissioner will be monitoring the mental health assistance allocation within the Florida Education Finance Program and working with the county's Youth Services Department and the Criminal Justice Commission through the Palm Beach County School Safety Initiative to establish or expand school-based mental health care.