The state of Ohio has granted more than $1 million to programs designed to prevent violence and support crime victims in Youngstown and Salem.

Governor Mike DeWine’s office has announced that Compass Family and Community Services in Mahoning County will receive $829,809.60 to hire mentors to work with high-risk individuals in Youngstown.

Mentors will work to prevent violence by connecting participants and victims to resources and changing the perception of violence from being inevitable to becoming preventable.

In addition, the Salem Police Department is receiving $168,743 to house civilian-based crisis response teams that support individuals undergoing behavioral crises.

The funding is among $20 million in grants to support 39 programs to receive funding as part of Governor DeWine's Community Violence Prevention Grant Program.

The grants support collaborative approaches by non-profit entities and governmental agencies that partner to reduce community violence.

"This program is the latest step in our holistic approach toward enhanced public safety in Ohio," said Governor DeWine. "From giving our law enforcement officers new tools to fight crime to strengthening community-based initiatives that prevent future violence, we're striving to ensure that our communities have the resources they need to protect and support the public."

Funded projects encompass five categories of assistance including community-based violence intervention programs, trauma recovery centers, children's advocacy centers, crisis response programs, and hospital-based violence intervention programs.