Oxford Families and Local Business

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Oakland County was home to a tragedy on November 30, 2021, when a student at Oxford High School shot and killed four fellow students while injuring seven others, including a teacher. In response to this crisis, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners established the Oxford Response Ad Hoc Committee to focus on ways in which the county could support the community. Per the recommendation of the committee, the Board quickly dedicated funds to support the community’s economic recovery as it came together to heal. This response included the Mental Health Assistance for Oxford Families Insurance Co-pay and Deductible Relief Program, which was a funding assistance program that helped members of the school community pay for mental health related expenses. Additionally, the Oxford Area Economic Recovery Program provided grants to organizations and businesses that provided indispensable assistance to the community following the shooting. Through this collective response, the county distributed $158,693 to reimburse those impacted for mental health care costs and $100,000 to businesses to support the region’s recovery. This response was in addition to the Board’s Anti-Violence Initiative, which is committed to actions that may help prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.