Page title

Healthy Transitions: Improving Life Trajectories for Youth and Young Adults with Serious Mental Disorders Program

Description

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2018 Healthy Transitions: Improving Life Trajectories for Youth and Young Adults With  Serious Mental Disorders Program grants (Short Title: Healthy Transitions).  The purpose of this program is to improve access to treatment and support services for youth and young adults, ages 16-25, who have a serious emotional disturbance (SED) or a serious mental illness (SMI), hereafter referred to as serious mental disorders.  It is expected that this program will improve emotional and behavioral health functioning so that this population of youth and young adults can maximize their potential to assume adult roles and responsibilities and lead full and productive lives.

Youth and young adults with SMI or SED between the ages of 16-25, including those with intellectual developmental disabilities, may not be working, in school, or in vocational and higher education programs.  Some face the additional challenge of experiencing homelessness, or being in contact with the juvenile or criminal justice system, thereby increasing the likelihood of admissions to hospitals, mental health, and/or correctional facilities.  Unfortunately, these same youth are among the least likely to seek help and may “fall through the cracks” and not receive the services and supports they need to become productive and healthy adults.  It is imperative that appropriate outreach and engagement processes are developed and implemented to create access to effective behavioral health interventions and supports.

The overall goal of Healthy Transitions will be to provide developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically competent services and supports to address serious mental disorders among youth 16 – 25 years of age.  This will be accomplished by increasing awareness, screening and detection, outreach and engagement, referrals to treatment, coordination of care, and evidence-informed treatment.

Healthy Transitions will accomplish program goals by: 

• Creating, implementing, and expanding services and supports that are developmentally appropriate, culturally competent, and youth and young adult-driven, involve family and community members (including business leaders and faith-based organizations), and provide for continuity of care and support between child- and adult-serving systems.
• Improving cross-system collaboration, service capacity, and expertise related to the population(s) of focus through Infrastructure and organizational change at the state/tribal level.
• Implementing public awareness and cross-system provider training (e.g., higher education/community colleges, behavioral

Healthy Transition grants are authorized under Section 520A (290bb-32) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended.

This announcement also addresses Healthy People 2020 Mental Health and Mental Disorders Topic Area HP 2020-MHMD.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are:

• The state/tribal/territorial agency that oversees delivery of mental health services to youth and young adults, ages 16-25, with serious mental disorders.
• Federally recognized (as defined in Section 4[b] and Section 4[c] of the Indian Self-Determination Act) American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes, tribal organizations and consortia of tribes or tribal organizations.

Tribal organization means the recognized body of any AI/AN tribe; any legally established organization of AI/ANs which is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by such governing body, or which is democratically elected by the adult members of the Indian community to be served by such organization and which includes the maximum participation of AI/ANs in all phases of its activities. Consortia of tribes or tribal organizations are eligible to apply, but each participating entity must indicate its approval. A single tribe in the consortium must be the legal applicant, the recipient of the award, and the entity legally responsible for satisfying the grant requirements.

Eligibility is limited because SAMHSA believes that only state/tribal/territorial agencies overseeing the delivery of mental health services to youth and young adults are in the unique position to leverage community agencies that can support the wide scale adoption of Healthy Transitions programs and services.  The state/tribal agency has the capacity, knowledge, and infrastructure to assist communities with successful implementation of effective practices and strategies at the community level while also sharing and implementing effective and successful statewide strategies.  Through the building of interconnected partnerships, Healthy Transitions can promote systems integration and strengthen the ability of states/tribes and communities to integrate prevention, intervention, and treatment services for youth and young adults with serious mental disorders.      

Recipients who received funding under SM-14-017 “Now is the Time” Healthy Transitions are not eligible to apply for funding under this FOA.

Award Information

Funding Mechanism: Grant

Anticipated Total Available Funding: $9,532,831

Anticipated Number of Awards: Up to 10

Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $1,000,000 per year

Length of Project: Up to 5 years

Cost Sharing/Match Required?: No

Proposed budgets cannot exceed $1,000,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project.  Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, recipient progress in meeting project goals and objectives, timely submission of required data and reports, and compliance with all terms and conditions of award.