Grants Dashboard

Project name: System of Care St. Louis (SOC-STL) Populations to be served: The proposed SOC-STL expansion will serve youth aged 21 and under with a serious emotional disturbance (SED) or who have early signs and symptoms of Serious Mental Illness, who disproportionately experience homelessness or are at risk of experiencing homelessness in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. Youth of color and LGBTQI youth experience significant disparities in homelessness, therefore the project focuses on these groups. Strategies/interventions: Direct services will use a combination of clinical and non-clinical interventions. Clinical interventions will include trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and other therapeutic modalities. Non-clinical interventions will include peer support and youth leadership/mentoring. Training and technical assistance partners are led by people of color and/or LGBTQI people with expertise in serving these populations and training other organizations to improve services for target populations. Other infrastructure improvements include integrating a referral and resource guide created by and for LGBTQI people looking for mental health services. All strategies and interventions are culturally appropriate for the target populations and employ evidence-based, evidence-informed, and culturally responsive practices. Project goals and measurable objectives: The project will serve 95 individuals in year one and 190 in each of years two through four for a total of 665 individuals served during the project period. An abbreviated list of project goals and objectives follow. Goal 1: Strengthen and enhance current infrastructure to connect youth to family support and culturally appropriate mental health services. Obj. 1.1 Within the first four months, complete a needs assessment to identify gaps in service delivery for youth with/at risk of SED disproportionately experiencing homelessness/at risk of homelessness with a focus on LGBTQI youth and youth of color. Goal 2: Provide evidence-based and culturally appropriate mental health services to youth, under 21, with or at-risk of SED/SMI and their families that are disproportionately experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness with a focus on LGBTQI youth and youth of color. Obj. 2.1 Provide Family Support Partner services to 125 unduplicated youth per year. Goal 3: Significantly mitigate youth's mental health-related symptoms by posttreatment. Obj. 3.1 70% of youth who receive TF-CBT will manifest significantly lower PTSD, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms by posttreatment. Goal 4: Increase the knowledge of and skills about effective strategies to decrease health disparities and stigma related to LGBTQI and Black youth seeking behavioral health services of SOC-STL direct service providers. Obj. 4.1 Annually, provide 4 trainings and 4 hours of technical assistance to 4 mental health service providers on the values, guiding principles, and practices required to effectively serve LGBTQI youth. Goal 5: Provide outreach and engagement to increase access to family support and evidence-based and culturally appropriate mental health services. Obj. 5.1 Annually, receive 200 referrals from SOC Linkage and Referral Platform/ Youth Connection Helpline, SQSH's Peer Support Warmline, courts, and community partners.

The McLean County System of Care (MC SOC) project will expand and sustain the infrastructure and service delivery to children and youth with serious emotional disturbance (SED) and young adults with serious mental illness (SMI) aged 0 to 21 and their families. By extending partnerships and with child-serving organizations, the project aims to create an integrated, holistic system of care that ensures that all youth enter adulthood happy, healthy, and productive. Over the course of the 4-year grant, the MC SOC expects to reach 430 children, youth, and young adults with mental health needs who are living in McLean County. The MC SOC centers activities on six goals. These goals include: (1) enhancing and sustaining coordination between McLean County's child-serving agencies and creating and supporting an SOC Team to oversee a continuum of behavioral health services for children/youth aged 0 to 21; (2) Decrease behavioral health crises and the need for more restrictive care by increasing McLean County's capacity to provide care coordination/wraparound service to uninsured and underinsured children, youth, and young adults aged 6 to 21 with SED/SMI; (3) Improve clinical outcomes by increasing capacity to provide intensive stabilization and intensive home and community based services; (4) Improve school districts' ability to identify behavioral health challenges by promoting the adoption of a universal screener, (5) increasing family and youth voice and advocacy by strengthening involvement in the system of care; (6) Increase access to in-person and telehealth psychiatric services for children, youth and young adults with SED/SMI. The McLean County System of Care project will pursue these goals through the creation of a SOC team supported by the Project Director, which will oversee the project, partnerships with providers and schools, and development of Memorandum of Understanding. Care coordination, Wraparound, and intensive home, school and community based services, will be provided to children, youth, and young adults with SED and SMI. Universal screening supported through the Regional office of Education #17 will allow earlier identification of children and youth with behavioral health needs. A lead family coordinator will support youth and parent participation in a family and youth advisory committee. In addition, a Psychiatric-Mental Health Advanced Practice Nurse (PMH-APRN) will be hired to increase access to psychiatric services including medication monitoring.

This proposed System of Care, CREATE (Co-designing Rich Environments for All to Thrive Everyday), will address three priority populations of children identified by SAMHSA--children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), those transitioning from pediatric to adult care (HCT), and LGBTQ+ children and youth (C&Y). They represent a third of US children, are at high risk for SEDs, and are disproportionately represented by minority and low-income families. Escalating structural, institutional, and societal discrimination confront these children generating profound inequities. Political assaults in Florida and across the country against minority and LGBTQ+ C&Y are driving these inequities. In response, CREATE will combine evidence-based SOC principles, with those of Population Health and Child Rights, to establish a model SOC that integrates clinical care, community systems development, and policy generation as a strategy to advance health equity among these marginalized C&Y at-risk for SED. Two-hundred C&Y will be served in Year 1, with subsequent annual increases of 200 C&Y resulting in 2000 served. With respect to CYSHCN, 30% to 60% experience mental and behavioral health conditions. Twenty-five percent of HCT youth have at least one psychiatric diagnosis. Among LGBTQ+ C&Y in Jacksonville, 43% seriously considered suicide, 35% planned a suicide, and 30% attempted it. The Goals of CREATE include, To: 1) Integrate SOC, Population Health, and Child rights principles into a SOC capable of addressing the unique needs of these C&Y, 2) Implement evidence-based mental-behavioral practices that respond to the needs of these C&Y, 3) Address public and private sector policies, laws, and practices that contribute to inequities in care and outcomes, 4) Evaluate process and outcomes using a variety of methods, including rights and equity-based metrics, and 5) Disseminate results and ensure sustainability. In Years 1&2, CREATE will work with C&Y in the University of Florida Bower Lyman Center that cares for 2000+ C&Y with complex medical conditions, and with JASMYN, a community-based organization serving 1100+ LGBTQ+ youth. . Two Mental-Behavioral teams consisting of a LCSW, Wraparound prepared Care Coordinator, and Family Advocate will be embedded in the two venues. They will be responsible for assessing, diagnosing, referring into the SOC and f/u of C&Y and parents and siblings manifesting SED requiring care. Parent Advocates will provide support for families and ensure they are involved in all components of planning, implementing, and evaluating CREATE. A Youth Advocate will be embedded in JASMYN to serve as a peer support for LGBTQ+ youth. Both Parent and Youth Advocates will engage in outreach into the community. In Years 3&4, the teams will expand their work into community-based pediatric practices and agencies. Community-based Participatory and Child Rights-based Approaches will be implemented to ensure youth and parents are engaged in all components of CREATE. A Collaborative Care model will be used to train pediatricians on psychiatric med-management and mental-behavioral health approaches to their patients. Access to a psychiatrist will be assured through the Collaborative Care model. Mental-Behavioral Health providers will be trained to respond to the unique needs of these C&Y. Rigorous health systems and evaluation research will contribute to the evaluation of processes and outcomes for goals and objectives and QI. Evaluation of all components of CREATE will involve all stakeholders, including parents and youth. Child rights and equity-based metrics will be utilized. Sustainability strategies include training 100+ multidisciplinary residents and fellows and practicing pediatricians. Financial sustainability will be negotiated with UF and JASMYN. The results of the Project will be disseminated through multiple academic and professional portals.

Although Philadelphia upholds System of Care (SOC) values and principles in children's behavioral health services, our system must be intentionally designed to be cohesive and link core SOC services (i.e., Care Coordination, Mobile Response, Peer Support) in clear, supportive care pathways in order to address needs early on, right size treatment, and prevent unnecessary higher levels of care (Pires et al., 2016; Stroup et al., 2021). DBHIDS currently faces five system development needs: 1) to intervene early and comprehensively assess intergenerational, family challenges, including Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) to “right size” treatment upfront, 2) to increase access to EBPs that holistically address youth and family needs, 3) to reduce the overreliance on residential treatment and out-of-home (OOH) placement through integrated care pathways that support the utilization of effective community-based services, 4) to mitigate early childhood trauma and prevent serious behavioral disorders for young children through early intervention, especially those involved in multiple systems, and 5) to address persistent gaps and behavioral health disparities, particularly for youth and families of color, with innovative partnership, fiscal strategy, and policy. Through this SOC grant, DBHIDS will address our system needs by utilizing use highly effective strategies to bring about system transformation and improvement, including: developing infrastructure, building capacity, partnering with families and community stakeholders, creating avenues for collaboration across agencies, leveraging fiscal resources, and solidifying change through policy. Specifically, we propose the following goals to bring about systems change: Goal 1: Increase Philadelphia SOC’s capacity to assess behavioral health disparities and SDOH for culturally- and linguistically- diverse families and provide referral pathways to recovery support services Goal 2: Expand workforce training and system capacity to increase access to the array of community-based EBPs for diverse families with youth at-risk for out of home placement and reduce restrictive, and extended higher levels of care Goal 3: System coordination and integration of core SOC services (ICC, Family/ Youth Peer Support, MRSS) as an effective, cohesive system Goal 4: Provide trauma-informed supports to mitigate trauma and reduce negative Early Childhood outcomes related to later behavioral challenges Goal 5: Promote and sustain family and youth engagement through collaborative partnerships with community-based organizations and system partners to guide SOC implementation through CQI and evaluation Goal 6: Sustain SOC implementation through coordinated fiscal strategy and policy Through intensive cross-system services provided through this grant, Philadelphia Healthy & HOME will serve a total of 375 youth with or at-risk for SED. Philadelphia has demonstrated its ability to change effectively and successfully sustaining key components of all SAMHSA grants. By establishing infrastructure, increasing access, and leveraging funding this grant will enable Philadelphia to expand SOC and improve outcomes for culturally-diverse children and youth with SED and their families.

The NFusion IV System of Care will improve mental health outcomes for children, youth and young adults (birth to age 21) at risk for or with serious emotional disturbance (SED) and their families by expanding access to trauma and grief informed, culturally responsive evidence-based mental health services and related recovery support services, improved policy, practice and infrastructure, cross-agency collaboration and sustainable financing for five rural medically underserved counties in North Mississippi, Alcorn, DeSoto, Prentiss, Tippah, and Tishomingo. The NFusion IV System of Care expansion will ensure that children, youth, and young adults at risk for or with SED, and their families, receive effective services within their communities, and that providers collaborate to coordinate care in a family-friendly and culturally responsive manner. EBPs will include Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment; Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Moral Recognition Therapy; Dialectical Behavior Therapy; Mental Health First Aid; youth-guided and family leadership. Project Name: NFusion IV System of Care. Populations served: 45% Female; 51% Male; 2% Transgender; 3% LGBTQI+; 38% African American; 5% Multiracial; 1% American Indian; 1% Asian; 5% Hispanic/Latinx; 50% trauma-involved; 45% COD; 85% at or below poverty level; 1% age birth < 5; 13% age 5-9 year; 13% age 10-12; 38% age 13-15 years; and 35% age 16-21 years. Strategies: The SOC expands trauma and grief informed care, cultural and linguistically responsive evidence-based mental health services, suicide prevention and intervention, policy development with a co-serving network of agencies strengthening transitional planning, integrated mental health treatment with cross-agency care coordination coupled with wraparound recovery support services with linkages to vocational counseling, education services, primary healthcare, dental, substance abuse prevention, stable housing, including independent living. Each participant will work with a care team that facilitates the identification and implementation of an individualized service plan in partnership with the child/youth, family, supports to achieve their personal goals. The SOC expansion will include family/youth peer support, family and youth leadership development, mentoring, and youth-guided activities. Goals: 1) Expand, integrate and sustain the SOC improving access, infrastructure and sustainable financing while ensuring a flexible, innovative CQI approach, cross-agency collaboration, implementing trauma/grief informed care; 2) Meaningfully involve children, youth and young adult consumers and family/caregivers in their own care and the broader governance of the SOC; 3) Facilitate a network of co-serving providers wrapped around the system of care who use trauma and grief-informed care, evidence-based practices and programs to assess, screen, treat, and manage mental health, including suicide risk; 4) Improve mental health functioning, embedding evidence-based and evidence-informed services and supports in early childhood, youth and young adult intervention services and mental health disorders treatment; 5) Improve health equity with targeted outreach in underserved communities to engage racial, ethnic and LGBTQI+ minorities into SOC services. Objectives: Between 9/30/23-9/29/27: 1) 100% of 400 will improve access; 2) 80% will improve mental illness functioning; 3) 80% will improve employment/education; 4) 80% will reduce criminal justice involvement; 5) 80% will improve housing stability; 6) 80% will reduce admissions to inpatient psychiatric hospitals; 7) 80% will improve social connectedness; and 8) 85% will report high client perceptions of care. # served: 75 in Year(s) 1-4, totaling 300 in four years.

Kentucky, like the rest of the nation, is in the midst of a child/youth BH crisis. In addition to world-wide pandemic, heightened political discord; BH workforce shortages; and racial injustices, KY families have experienced state-specific stressors: multiple natural disasters; a school shooting; escalating community and gun-related youth violence; and the continuing impact of the opioid/other substances crisis, many of these preceding the pandemic and national acknowledgement of this crisis. Despite a 30-year history of operating its behavioral health (BH) system for children/youth at a risk for or with a serious emotional disability (SED) and their families in accordance with the System of Care (SOC) framework, Kentucky's system of care is strained and unable to keep pace with current demands. To that end, the Kentucky Service & Infrastructure eXpansion (KY SIX) initiative will expand the SOC infrastructure and service delivery to children/youth (birth to 18 years of age) at risk for or with SED and specifically those who have child welfare and/or justice involvement. Justice involvement includes those involved with the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and/or the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). Child welfare involvement includes those involved with the Department for Community Based Services/DCBS, (Kentucky's child welfare agency), both in- and out-of-home. To maximize impact the geographic catchment are for KY SIX is statewide. In accordance with SOC values and principles, the KY SIX initiative will expand and enhance the SOC for the population of focus by (1) enhancing and sustaining Kentucky's interagency governance bodies to support the implementation, expansion, and interpretation of the SOC approach; (2) conducting ongoing evaluation of implementation activities and engage in continuous quality improvement efforts to improve outcomes and reduce behavioral health disparities; (3) implement a comprehensive, multi-agency children's behavioral health plan for SOC expansion and sustainability; (4) promote resilience and retention within the workforce that serves the population of focus; (5) improve equitable availability of and access to culturally- and linguistically-responsive, evidence-based/evidence-informed practices in trauma and grief-informed behavioral health services for the population of focus, including marginalized and minoritized populations. KY SIX will serve 250 youth during the project period.

Project Abstract The Herkimer County System of Care 2.0 Project will strengthen and bring new evidence-based and gender and culturally responsive services to greater numbers of Herkimer County children, youth, and young adults most at risk of or with SED. This initiative will result in the creation of a community youth center for increased service access, a new gender-responsive program to improve the mental health of girls who are disproportionately facing mental health challenges, and significantly increased referrals, partnerships, trainings, outreach, and youth and family engagement across the county.

The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and its Division of Behavioral Health, along with its provider network and child serving partners, have a celebrated history of implementing and sustaining SAMHSA funded system of care projects. To further develop the existing infrastructure, DBHDD will implement the Georgia MATCH (Mobilizing Access to Care and Hope) Project. The MATCH Project is a multiagency care coordination initiative predicated on removing barriers and obstacles so that children in need may access services in a timely and efficient manner. One hundred at risk youth (i.e., 6 – 21 years who are experiencing mental health crisis and are in need of immediate support) will be served annually, resulting in an unduplicated 400 youth served. In the current system youth entering in, or exiting, services can enter a state of limbo which results in elongated timelines and additional stress on that of the youth and their family. To alleviate these challenges and ultimately create a more streamlined process, MATCH will fill gaps through interagency collaborations, workforce development investment(s), and high efficacious service delivery, all done in accordance with the fundamental values of system of care. Project partners will implement the required and allowable activities by studying, developing and piloting a formalized, multi-agency care coordination protocol focused on removing barriers and expediting access to the appropriate level of care at the right time for youth and families. The approach, MATCH (Mobilizing Access to Care and Hope) will include: 1) Adding a pre-enrollment care coordination stage to Georgia’s high-fidelity wraparound intervention, Intensive Customized Care Coordination (IC3); 2) facilitating referrals and linkage to services and supports during the pre-enrollment stage for youth not meeting IC3 eligibility criteria; 3) increasing IC3 enrollment for youth meeting eligibility criteria; and 4) evaluating outcomes. MATCH will include trauma informed systems training, high fidelity wraparound, as well as the inculcation of the lived experience voice and perspective, throughout the project and Georgia System of Care. Through the duration of the grant, strict data monitoring strategies will be employed to measure project impact. This includes baseline and follow up data using SAMHSA provided measures (e.g., Client-Level National Outcomes Measures) as well as other instruments assessing clinical outcomes (e.g., Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths) and impairment (e.g., Columbia Impairment Scale).

The Tulsa Children's Mental Health Initiative - System of Care (TCMHI SOC) project will identify and assess Tulsa are children and youth ages 0-21 with or at risk for severe emotional disturbances (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI) and their families and will connect them to a fully integrated continuum of coordinated mental health services. By leveraging collaborative partnerships to increase Tulsa's investment in children's mental health, the project will align with the city's goal, as stated in its collaborative strategy, Resilient Tulsa, of decreasing the racial gap in life expectancy by 2024. Over the course of the four-year grant, the TCMHI SOC expects to reach 450 children, youth and young adults with mental health needs who are living in the city of Tulsa and Tulsa County. The TCMHI SOC will focus its activities on five goals. These goals include (1) a sustainable infrastructure, established by TCMHI SOC Governance Team, that will support the System of Care (SOC) for children and youth at risk for or with SED/SMI and their families; (2) decreasing behavioral health emergency room encounters and the need for more restrictive care by strengthening and integrating Tulsa's current crisis system; (3) increasing access to an array of evidence-based and culturally relevant crisis stabilization, intensive home and community-based, and targeted and intensive case management services; (4) increasing youth and family voice, leadership, and support services in the city of Tulsa; and (5) increasing the number of pediatric primary care and emergency room providers to address youth suicide prevention and mental health crises. The TCHMI SOC will pursue these goals by hiring a project director and a lead family coordinator, and creating a governance team. The governance team will develop a training plan and oversee the community needs assessment, which will identify gaps in services, racial and ethnic health disparities, and cultural and linguistic competency needs. A crisis advisory group (CAG) will map out the current system and develop a plan that identifies strategies and evidence-based practices, which will be implemented to address gaps in crisis care and improve crisis hotline/988 call responses. A cross-system approach to delivering crisis stabilization, intensive home and community-based services, and case management will be developed using the outcomes of the needs assessment. The TCHMI SOC will work with local family-run organizations to ensure families and youth are represented and active on the governance team. With support from the lead family coordinator, TCHMI SOC will assess the capacity of family and peer supports and develop a plan to increase that capacity. In addition, TCHMI SOC will partner with the Oklahoma Child and Mental Health Access Program (OKCAPMAP) to identify primary care providers and emergency room gaps in triage and referral, and to ensure that warm handoffs to crisis providers are taking place.

The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, together with our partners, submit our proposal entitled, "Improving Systems of Care for Native American Children". This is in response to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Children’s Mental Health Initiative request for proposals. The overarching goal of this project is to expand access and enhance mental health care for those who suffer the greatest disparities, are at greatest risk, and who have historically been underserved in the area of mental health, Native American (NA) children and youth. We will add therapists that have experience working with NA and tribal communities, and provide culturally adapted evidence-based training to providers already in the system. We will connect children with culturally appropriate supplemental services such as targeted case management, school-based non-therapy programs, and peers support groups. Furthermore, this funding will help us to improve referral processes, communication, and collaboration across pediatric care providers of NA children and youth. Our system of care partners includes education, county, Federally Qualified Healthcare Center, tribal programs, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and one of the largest providers of premier psychiatric services in the area.

The West Virginia System of Care (SOC) Grant for Expansion and Sustainability of Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children will enhance WV's foundational SOC to fill service gaps, including crisis stabilization, respite, and intensive outpatient services; facilitate ongoing feedback, peer support, and SOC leadership opportunities for underserved, diverse youth and families; provide evidence-based training for the behavioral health workforce; and adapt services, language, and messaging to reduce behavioral health disparities and stigma. It is anticipated that the WV SOC project will serve 1,000 children and youth up to age 21 at risk of or with serious emotional disorder (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI) and their families per year -- or 4,000 children and youth over the four-year project period -- across all 55 WV counties. Enveloped by the Appalachian Mountains, WV has a declining population of about 1.78 million individuals, including about 20% children and youth. Most people in WV are white (91.5%), followed by black (3.7%), two or more races (2%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian (0.9%), and Native American (0.3%), according to the U.S. Census Bureau. WV has approximately 10,300 LGBTQ youth, including the highest per capital number of transgender youth in the nation, according to the UCLA Williams Institute. Most West Virginians speak English, and the state has no federally recognized tribes. WV youth share several social determinants of health and risk factors for SED and other detrimental outcomes without early intervention and counteractive protective factors. For example, about one in four children live in poverty in WV, which KIDS COUNT ranked 42nd overall in the country for child well-being, and the state has twice as many children being raised by relatives as the national average and more than 6,000 children in foster care at any time. West Virginia has the highest per capita cost of deaths of despair from suicide and fatal overdoses in the country. This WV SOC grant could build protective factors with community-based behavioral health services and supports to improve health trajectories for WV children.

Summary. The Golden Triangle Region System of Care will improve mental health outcomes for children, youth and young adults (birth to age 21) at risk for or with serious emotional disturbance (SED) and their families by expanding access to trauma and grief informed, culturally responsive evidence-based mental health services and related recovery support services, the formation of policy and infrastructure, cross-agency collaboration and sustainable financing for seven rural medically underserved counties in Northeast Mississippi, Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Noxubee, Clay, Webster, Choctaw and Winston. The System of Care expansion will ensure that children, youth, and young adults at risk for or with SED, and their families, receive access to mental health care within their communities, and that co-serving providers coordinate care in a family-friendly and culturally relevant manner. EBPs will include Motivational Interviewing; Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Moral Recognition Therapy; SPARCS; QPR; MHFA; Coping and Support Training; Illness, Management and Recovery; ARISE Life Skills Curricula; Second Step Program; Skills Streaming; The Prepare Curriculum; youth/family peers. Project Name: Golden Triangle Region System of Care. Populations served: Birth to age 21; 48% Female; 49% Male; 2% Transgender; 3% LGBTQI+; 70% African American; 3% Hispanic/Latinx; 1% American Indian; 50% trauma-involved; 45% COD; 85% at or below poverty level; 2% age birth to five; 10% age 5-9 year; 35% age 13-15 years; and 39% age 6-21 years. Strategies: The SOC expands trauma and grief informed care, cultural and linguistically responsive evidence-based mental health services, suicide prevention and intervention, policy development with a co-serving network of agencies strengthening transitional planning, integrated mental health treatment with cross-agency care coordination coupled with wraparound recovery support services with linkages to vocational counseling, education services, primary healthcare, dental, substance abuse prevention, stable housing, including independent living. Each participant will work with a care team that facilitates the identification and implementation of an individualized service plan in partnership with the child/youth, family, supports to achieve their personal goals. The SOC expansion will include family/youth peer support, family and youth leadership development, mentoring, and youth-guided activities. Goals: 1) Expand, integrate and sustain the SOC improving access, infrastructure and sustainable financing while ensuring a flexible, innovative CQI approach, cross-agency collaboration, implementing trauma/grief informed care; 2) Meaningfully involve children, youth and young adult consumers and family/caregivers in their own care and the broader governance of the SOC; 3) Facilitate a network of co-serving providers wrapped around the system of care who use trauma and grief-informed care, evidence-based practices and programs to assess, screen, treat, and manage mental health, including suicide risk; 4) Improve mental health functioning, embedding evidence-based and evidence-informed services and supports in early childhood, youth and young adult intervention services and mental health disorders treatment; 5) Improve health equity with targeted outreach in underserved communities to engage racial, ethnic and LGBTQI+ minorities into SOC services. Objectives: Between 9/30/23-9/29/27: 1) 100% of 400 will improve access; 2) 80% will improve mental illness functioning; 3) 80% will improve employment/education; 4) 80% will reduce criminal justice involvement; 5) 80% will improve housing stability; 6) 80% will reduce admissions to inpatient psychiatric hospitals; 7) 80% will improve social connectedness; and 8) 85% will report high client perceptions of care. # served: 100 in Year(s) 1-4, totaling 400 in four years.

The Prince George's County Health Department (PGCHD) will lead the implementation of a system of care (SOC) for 350 children and youth birth through 21, at risk or with serious emotional disturbances (SED) and their families in Prince George's County Maryland. The proposed SOC will have a special focus on improving the lives of children and youth who are at risk of entering the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. The majority (85%) of the target population are Black, non-Hispanics or Hispanic. PGCHD key partners include the County's Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) respectively; the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Prince George's County (NAMI PGC); Maryland Coalition of Families (MCF), a family-led behavioral health advocacy non-profit Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS); the Local Care Team (LCT); Maryland Family Resources Inc. (MFR); Synergy Family Services (SFS) and a collaboration of child-serving agencies and advocates. SOC implementation strategies include training, coaching and Technical Assistance in evidence-based trauma and grief-informed behavioral health interventions for providers; case management, respite care and peer support for children and families; referral and linkage to substance use treatment and services that mitigate the social determinants of health; promoting the integration of behavioral health and primary care through a mental health in pediatrics approach; expanding access to services via telehealth; and building youth and family advocacy capacity through engagement at all levels of the SOC operation. The Goals to be achieved by 9/29/2027 are: Goal 1: Enact local policies that mandate children, youth and family-guided input, service integration and coordination, cultural and linguistic competence, and linkage to health care reform to improve accessibility and availability of services for the target population. Goal 2: Develop and implement community-wide education and messaging to reduce stigma about getting help for mental health and co-occurring SUD. Goal 3: Increase the competency and capacity of local behavioral, health, education, and social service providers to deliver programming that addresses the needs of the target population. Goal 4: Increase children, youth, and family representation and input on the design, development, and implementation of services that target them. Goal 5: Increase provider capacity to serve children ages 0-6 and their families through the implementation of an early childhood EBP. The outcomes the SOC will achieve by 9/29/2027 are: 1. At least 150 individuals will be reached through outreach, and the number encountered through outreach will increase 25% in each subsequent year of the project. 2. 100% of funded providers will have at least one youth or family member actively serving as a representative around SOC policies, programs and services. 3. At least two partnering outpatient behavioral health providers will be trained on evidence-based interventions for the target population, 4. After the first year of the project, the number of providers participating in the SOC referral pathways will increase by 15% annually. 5. 50% of referred children and youth will enroll in culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services. 6. The number of children, youth and families receiving evidence-based grief and trauma-informed services will increase by 100% in the second year. 7. 75% of children and youth enrolled in services will report being in safe and stable homes. 8. The number of children ages 0-6 at risk for or with SED and their families will receive age and clinically appropriate EBP services. 9. 75% of children and youth enrolled in services will report fewer behavioral problems.

Ohio is transforming children's behavioral health through its System of Care Expansion grants referred to as ENGAGE (Engaging the new Generation to Achieve their Goals through Empowerment). ENGAGE 2.0 advanced children's crisis services and interventions with the development and implementation of Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS). Ohio's MRSS as an upstream crisis intervention that provides a 24/7 hotline; on-site mobile response triage; clinical assessments; referrals and follow-up services including Wraparound care coordination, serves children and young adults with multi-system needs; maintains children in their homes and communities; leverages resources across systems to be more effective in meeting youth and families needs; and institutes shared governance. Within four years of implementing Ohio's MRSS, Ohio Medicaid incorporated MRSS in the state plan for children's Medicaid billable services. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and its emotionally tolling consequences, there is even a greater need to amplify the importance of addressing children's and young adult crisis especially in rural counties. According to A FAIR health white paper in March of 2022, young people have proven especially vulnerable to mental health issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is submitting this proposal in response to SAMHSA's Grants for Expansion and Sustainability of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Severe Emotional Disturbances, which we titled "ENGAGE 3.0" to expand MRSS to rural counties which have had increased youth suicide rates and a greater need for infrastructure support to develop evidence-based behavioral health services. This need combined with data showing that youth needing treatment are unable to receive it, positions these board areas of Ohio to receive resources that will expand access to MRSS and ultimately reduce the number of youth suicides and out of home placements due to behavioral health crises.

Chautauqua Tapestry will strengthen the System of Care (SOC) infrastructure county-wide and build a replicable strategic training and implementation plan in rural Chautauqua County, New York. Chautauqua Tapestry will work with New York State (NYS) SOC to ensure suitability and sustainability of project goals and grant efforts. The overall goal of this grant is to improve the mental health outcomes for children and youth, birth through age 21, at risk for or with serious emotional disturbances (SED), and their families. The design will include integration of existing programming, implementation of evidence based services, and integration for sustainable infrastructure of services and processes. Chautauqua Tapestry will work collaboratively with partner entities to ensure all required services are provided and target goals are set, met, monitored, and reported as part of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and their Families Program; including preparing youth at risk for or with SED for effective transition to adult roles and successful experiences with the responsibilities of adulthood with a focus on a productive future. A primary focus of Chautauqua Tapestry is to reduce disparities, with this grant focusing on behavioral health equity regardless of the individual's race ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, geographical location, and social conditions. Families in our county face many contributing factors of health disparities including isolation, scarcity, and lack of education and vocational opportunities. According to the U.S Census Bureau, the percent of the population living in poverty in Chautauqua County in 2020 was higher than all but seven of the State's counties, with 32% of Chautauqua's children living below the federal poverty level. And according to the 2022 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, Chautauqua County is ranked among the least healthy counties in New York, with only seven counties ranking lower. The impact of these disparities is seen multiple sectors, including behavioral and physical health, the criminal justice system, workforce development, the social welfare system, and school system. This grant will address disparities and build on opportunities, in conjunction with integrating home and community-based services and supports for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families through the expansion of the current SOC. Chautauqua Tapestry's goals address current identified needs and workforce shortages through collaboration and exploration of potential coverage and support. This includes goals and objectives focused on formalizing the roles of Family and Youth Peer Support Staff in Chautauqua County and the potential use of non-licensed staff as well as utilizing guidance from the NYS Office of Professions. Chautauqua Tapestry will expand screenings and assessment opportunities and create referral pathways to evidence-based practices to meet the identified needs of our child, youth and young adults. Chautauqua Tapestry will be the fabric to ensure the children and youth at risk for or with SED and their families are connected with resources and services, and the system of care is strong.

Abstract CMHI Calricaraq Project Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation Our Alaska Native children and youth experience some of the highest rates of depression, suicide, and substance use. With our Calricaraq traditional BH Prevention program, we are seeing communities and families heal and return to traditional Yup’ik values and practices for their strength. With this project we aim to disseminate these teachings of Calricaraq, developed by our people, for our people, to spread healing and wellness to our children, youth, and their families to the 58 Tribal communities in the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta region of SW Alaska. Project Name: Calricaraq CMHI Project Population to be Served: The children, youth, and families of the Yukon – Kuskokwim Delta region of Southwest Alaska, population 26,365 predominately Yup’ik, Cup’ik and Athabaskan residents. Our program will serve 80 clients per year, and 300 clients during the life of the grant, and up to eight hundred more youth will be impacted with our outreach activities throughout the grant period. Strategies and Interventions: Calricaraq is an Elder-driven program that encompasses our Yup’ik ancestral wisdom and knowledge and is our holistic approach to help people heal from the impacts of colonization. Calricaraq serves community members of all ages, but we focus most of our efforts on parents and school-age youth. The CMHI Project will enable our Calricaraq Program to focus specifically on our Outpatient Clinic by increasing capacity to serve more children and youth referrals coming from our child-serving partners in the Y-K Delta region. Project Goals and Measurable Objectives: Goal 1: Expand awareness and inclusion of the Calricaraq CMHI/SOC Project throughout the child and family service providers in the Y-K Delta region. Objective 1. Train existing and incoming BH staff on the philosophy and clinical operation of the Calricaraq Outpatient Clinic and Prevention Program. Objective 2. Provide outreach activities to child and family service organizations. Goal 2: Expand capacity of our YKHC Calricaraq Traditional Outpatient Clinic, increasing the number of children, youth, and families we can provide evidence-based, culturally appropriate MH and SU services, with increased diagnostic services and trauma-informed care. Objective 1. Addition of an Outpatient Clinic Manager/Care Coordinator to oversee the operation of the clinic and provide guidance and supervision to our Traditional Clinic staff. Objective 2. Calricaraq Clinician will provide diagnostic BH services to children and youth clients, and their families. Goal 3: Manage, monitor, and enhance the Calricaraq CMHI Program’s integrity and fidelity, including sustainability planning and finance strategies by: Objective 1. Review clinical policies and procedures to ensure integration of Calricaraq into existing protocols and modify as needed in accordance with the BH Strategic Plan. Objective 2. Convene the Elder council to ensure compliance with the Calricaraq teachings. Objective 3. Review orders and billing codes to assure adequate reimbursement of services

Through the Concord Children's System of Care Expanded Integration Project, the Concord School District (CSD), in direct collaboration with Riverbend Community Mental Health Center, will serve as a hub for school-based mental health services, family behavioral health education, and timely facilitated referrals for external clinical care. As New Hampshire's capital city, Concord is home to over 4,000 pre-K - grade 12 public school students, more than a third of whom qualify for free or reduced lunch. All five elementaries, the single middle school, and the sole high school are perennially Title I schools and, at any given time, 80-110 of our students experience homelessness. As the state's most common refugee resettlement community, Concord has welcomed thousands of New American students to its schools over the past decade. Pre-pandemic, 35% of CSD high schoolers reported symptoms of clinical depression; that figure has risen to 39%, as has the number who have seriously considered suicide (23%). The overarching goals of the project are to: 1) Build the capacity of stakeholders with a shared interest in and responsibility for children's mental health through intentional collaboration, workforce development, community-wide training, and codified policy change; 2) Mitigate barriers to clinical care needed by school-aged youth and young adults with SED/SMI by establishing responsive pathways to school- and community-based individual therapy, Wraparound, and crisis intervention; 3) Respond to the increasing need for targeted interventions through the creation of an alternative middle school program for youth with and/or at risk of developing a SED/SMI, the facilitation of skills groups in the elementary schools, and the implementation of restorative practices at the secondary level; 4) Implement tier 1/preventative approaches in classrooms, preschool - grade 12, to create an equitable school climate that supports students' behavioral health needs in a COVID-era world. This project will clinically serve 10% of our student population through tier 2/3 services per year, including an annual 50 highest-needs students assessed via the NOMS, for a total of 1,600 unduplicated youth enrolled in school- and/or clinic-based mental health services throughout the project. Additionally, tier 1/prevention programming will benefit all students in the district. We will work with no fewer than 400 families, through training and family therapies, project-wide. To respond to the increased behavioral health needs of students, care coordination infrastructure is a chief priority; two CMHC/School Liaisons and a Family Coordinator will be the conduit between the school district, community mental health center, and families to effectively facilitate co-located services, participate in multi-tiered system of supports for behavioral health and wellness (MTSS-B), and support school- and community-based prevention programming. To achieve optimal behavioral health outcomes for students and their families, the District and Riverbend will also partner with the State Departments of Health & Human Services and Education, youth- and family-serving entities (e.g. Concord Family YMCA, Parent Information Center), and local health and social service providers (e.g. Waypoint, Community Bridges).

The purpose of the El Paso Drug Court Expansion Project is to expand substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support services in El Paso County for those attending the Driving While Intoxicated Drug Treatment Court (DWI Court). The DWI Court is a specialized court designated to handle adults convicted of DWI offenses. The mission of the program is to enhance public safety and strive to reduce recidivism of alcohol and drug offenders through a cost-effective integrated continuum of care and a judicially supervised regime of treatment and comprehensive case management. Eligible individuals are adults ages 18 years or older with DWI offenses; misdemeanor and/or felony who reside with in El Paso County. Demographics of the target population are 96% white and Hispanic, 81% male, 19% female, the majority (49%) are between the ages of 36 and 65, 100% have substance use disorder (SUD) with 74% diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder, 70% are employed full-time, and 57% are independently housed. Aliviane, Inc., a non-profit, behavioral health provider specializing in substance use treatment for adults and families will be the primary treatment provider and fiscal agent for the project. The El Paso Drug Court Expansion Project is proposing to expand collaboration between the DWI Court and Aliviane to provide a continuum of care, including prevention, treatment, and recovery services for individuals with SUD involved in the DWI Court. The program will increase promotion and recruitment of new clients into the DWI Court. Treatment providers will be fully integrated as part of the DWI Court and will attend regularly scheduled meetings with prosecutors to identify potential clients for the program. The program will expand and enhance services designed to help change behavior and reduce recidivism among DWI offenders by providing early, continuous, and intense judicially supervised treatment, mandatory periodic drug testing. The program will also use appropriate sanctions and other habilitation services including implementation of fully integrated and trauma informed co-occurring screening, assessment, and evidence-based substance use and behavioral health treatment for twelve months. The program will provide recovery support services throughout the course of treatment to increase support systems and relapse prevention and to ensure comprehensive service coordination throughout the 12-month program. Participants will receive service coordination across multiple community providers addressing primary care needs, housing, employment, individual support services, childcare, educational, and transportation services. The enhanced services proposed removes funding as a barrier to accessing high quality services for the proposed target population. This proposal increases the length of treatment and significantly improves access to evidenced based practices. Participants will have an opportunity to spend considerably more time in treatment than those on traditional probation; studies have shown that longer time spent in treatment often predicts success in reducing recidivism (Fuller et. al., 2007). The project will expand access to treatment for 80 individuals per year, 400 over the course of the project. Additionally, all 100 individuals served by the DWI Court, 500 over five years, will be provided with enhanced treatment services.

The City of Laredo Health Department proposes to enhance Laredo/Webb County ‘s existing system of care charged with addressing substance use disorder issues through the City of Laredo Drug Court Based Substance Use Treatment Program. The Drug Court Program will provide substance use/behavioral health screening and support services (psycho-education, support groups), intensive case management/outreach services, HIV/STD testing, education and risk reduction. Laredo/Webb County currently has one drug court and lacks a Drug Court Based Substance Use Treatment Program. By October 2023 there will be a detoxification center but other than that, options are limited. City of Laredo Drug Court Based Substance Use Treatment Program proposes to expand and evaluate the Webb County Drug Courts to reduce the incidence and duration of incarcerations, homelessness, and interactions with the criminal justice system while improving the health and social outcomes of individuals with a substance use diagnosis.

Abstract Project Title: Charles County Family Recovery Court – SAMHSA Treatment Drug Courts The Family Recovery Court (FRC) for Charles County Circuit Court is applying for the SAMHSA FY2023 Grants to Expand Substance Use Disorder Treatment Capacity in Adult and Family Treatment Drug Courts in the amount of $400,000 per year for five (5) years, to enhance and expand its coordinated, multi­system approach for parents with substance abuse issues engaging in the FRC. Through this project, the FRC will continue to expand the services it offers and implement additional evidence-based practices (EBPs) which will positively impact a larger number of parents and their children. The goals of this project include assisting a greater number of parents diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD); providing family-centered services; ensuring all participants have rapid access to evidence-based programs such as Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and the Strengthening Families Program; and ensuring disparities do not exist in admission protocols or elsewhere in the program. As one of only five family drug courts in the state of Maryland, the Charles County Family Recovery Court (FRC) addresses the connection between substance abuse, mental health, and child abuse and neglect. The FRC will serve up to thirty-five (35) participants annually. The project will comprehensively serve at least 275 individuals with an array of treatment and recovery support services across the project period of five (5) years. These individuals include an estimated 175 parents and 100 children. The population served are parents who have a pending CINA petition with a permanency plan including reunification; have a child under a DSS Order of Protective Supervision; or have a case with an order or pending petition for child custody or child access in Charles County Circuit Court. Evidence shows that participation in Family Drug Treatment Courts provides interventions necessary to improve recovery outcomes for parents that promote family reunification efforts. Measurable outcomes for participants who have engaged in the FRC program since inception include reduced substance abuse and associated risky behaviors; minimized symptoms associated with mental health disorders; increased retention in the FRC and substance abuse treatment; accelerated access to MAT services; enriched parenting skills; improved relationships with their family and children; and sustained, successful connections to the recovery community. Through this project, the FRC will continue providing critical, intensive treatment services to the high-risk population it serves. The FRC will also expand and implement programs designed to assist with achieving and maintaining recovery, enhancing the parent-child relationship, breaking the cycle of addiction, and ensuring all potential participants have equal access to and retention in the FRC program.

FCC Behavioral Health is proposing a new program called Healing Council: Recovery Support Services for Adults in Treatment Court to expand substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support services in our existing drug courts in the 34th Judicial Circuit, the 35th Judicial Circuit, the 36th Judicial Circuit, the 37th Judicial Circuit, and the 44th Judicial Circuit in Southeast Missouri. The population of focus is adults diagnosed with a SUD as their primary condition that participate in an Adult Treatment Drug Court (ATDC) model. This program will provide a coordinated, multi-system approach designed to combine the sanctioning power of treatment drug courts with effective SUD treatment services to break the cycle of criminal behavior, alcohol and/or drug use, and incarceration or other penalties. That will be accomplished over the next 5 years: reduce the recidivism rate by ex-offenders; 93% of participants will complete the treatment court requirements within 18 months; percentage of treatment court program participants who have completed the program. Participants will find safe and supportive housing; 75% of participants will live in safe housing within 30 days of entry into the program; percentage of participants who live in safe and supportive housing immediately after release. Participants will become self-supporting, productive citizens; 75% of participants will be employed six months after release; percentage of treatment court program participants who are employed six months after release from incarceration. Participants will have active health insurance; 75% of participants will have active health insurance; percentage of participants who have active insurance coverage one month after release from incarceration. Direct care services will be provided by 4 Treatment Coordinators in 2 teams. The goal of this program is to help with the successful transition of individuals with SUD and/or co-occurring SUD/MH disorders engaged in treatment court back into community living. During that first year, the Treatment Coordinator will begin to strengthen the network of recovery support service providers in an ever-expanding location. Once the network for the identified counties is solid, the network will grow to include the entire Southern half and eventually all of Missouri. All treatment providers will be trained and provide Evidence-based practices (EBPs) such as Gorski’s Relapse Prevention Model, Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), Mindfulness for Recovery, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), and the Matrix Model. Data will be collected and reported in accordance with designated time frames.

The Dallas County Criminal Justice Department will expand and enhance substance use disorder treatment services in existing adult treatment courts, which utilize the drug court treatment model in order to provide an alcohol and drug continuum of treatment. The goal of the project is to reduce recidivism among offenders with substance use disorders by providing structured and culturally competent substance abuse treatment along with recovery support services, intensive case management, and judicial monitoring that assists participants in maintaining abstinence from drugs and/or alcohol. The grant will target historically underserved populations with a diagnosed Substance Use Disorder participating in a certified adult treatment court. Funds will increase the courts’ ability to enhance the amount of treatment provided to vulnerable populations that routinely receive less than the recommended amount of treatment. Providing the participants the opportunity to stabilize and detox in a healthy treatment centered facility is vital to their success. Currently many participants wait in jail up to 3-4 months for treatment. This funding will allow the jail wait time for treatment to be reduced. Additionally, without funding many will not receive the chance for intensive treatment or will only receive a minimal amount (7-10 days), which research has shown is ineffective in the treatment of substance abuse. The funds will increase the courts’ ability to respond appropriately to violations directly related to substance use disorders, as well as, increase the accessibility of wrap around services and recovery support services for participants journeying through recovery counterproductive environments. Participants will benefit from additional treatment including recovery support services, case management, and program coordination. All participants will also receive one on one peer services. This additional support will enhance the continuum of support and care and on-going recovery as many of the participants have little family support. The expanded treatment availability will not only directly benefit participants but have an exponential impact on families and communities in Dallas County. Dr. Jennifer Gonzalez will carry out the required performance assessment, with an emphasis in demonstrating benefits of clinically appropriate substance abuse treatment for participants to remain abstinent from drug use after treatment has ended. The project’s goal is to serve 35 new participants each year and 175 unique participants over a period of five years.

The MedLink Georgia Drug Court Medication-Assisted Treatment Program aims to provide critically needed Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) to the individuals who are mandated to receive treatment through their involvement with the accountability courts. The Drug Court MAT Program will provide the basis for sustainable and efficient relationships between MedLink Georgia, Inc. and the drug accountability courts located in and around its service area. MedLink Georgia will provide comprehensive medical care, as appropriate, to any and all individuals referred to it by the accountability courts within Northeast Georgia. MedLink Georgia plans to serve 246 unique patients over the course of the funding period. This is an estimate of 40 patients in the first year, and an increase of 10% for each following year of the funding period (44, 49, 54, and 59 for years 2-5). The organization will prescribe primarily Vivitrol or Suboxone, through it will prescribe other MOUD as medically necessary. One of the core principles of the Drug Court MAT Program is that even though the patients are being mandated by the accountability courts to receive treatment, MedLink Georgia is entirely in-charge of what form that treatment takes. This includes things like determining the appropriateness of various medicines and devising treatment plans on an individual basis. Similarly, as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), MedLink Georgia will never deny services to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay. MedLink Georgia utilizes the Office-Based Opioid Treatment Model (OBOT). MedLink Georgia in collaboration with the accountability drug courts will work as a team to ensure each participant has all necessary treatment and support to ensure successful, sustained recovery.

The population to be served are those who participate in the Bartholomew County Adult Drug Recovery Court and the Bartholomew County Family Recovery Court. Those participants were admitted into the Drug Courts as an alternative to incarceration and have been diagnosed with Substance Use Disorder (SUD). The strategies to be implemented include expanding the capacity of the courts to assist more people, and also to expand the resources provided to those in the drug courts to increase the likelihood of successful outcomes. The Program is expected to serve 22 participants in the first year and a total of 166 participants throughout the 5-year term of the Program.

The proposed project is submitted by Habersham County on behalf of the Mountain Judicial Circuit Accountability Courts (MJCAC). The purpose is expanding evidence-based treatment services targeting vulnerable populations in the rural northeast Georgia mountains. MJCAC anticipates serving a total of 417 participants over the duration of the project, with an emphasis on expansion and enhancement services in Family Treatment Court. MJCAC consists of 5 treatment court programs: Habersham Drug Court, Stephens Drug Court, Rabun Drug Court, Family Treatment Court, and Mental Health/Co-Occurring Court. Program length is 18-36 months with average participation length of 24 months. All 5 programs serve participants who are assessed to have moderate to severe substance use disorders or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. We will target those with co-occurring disorders living in the most economically-distressed rural areas with limited or no access to behavioral health treatment, transportation, and other recovery support services. A major funding focus of SAMHSA funds will be to extend funds and enhance the project started in 2020 with federal BJA funds. Our program is unable to sustain this project without federal funds. SAMHSA funds requested are $1,954,013 for a 5 year period, which will account for approximately 25% of the total annual program budget. MJCAC funding will also leverage grant-funded services through community partners with multiple upcoming opportunities to sustain a strategic and collaborative response to behavioral health disparities within our community. In developing a whole-person treatment approach, this project will focus on addressing behavioral health disparities by providing equitable services including recovery support services, substance use and health screening, clinical assessments, emergency housing and transportation assistance, psychological evaluations, family-focused interventions, and trauma-informed treatment interventions. Through the implementation of Celebrating Families!, MJCAC will enhance the lives of 150 families affected by substance use. With technological innovations like Zoom and Reconnect, this project will enhance accessibility to participants and reduce disparities by facilitating communication between the participants and the project staff. The Project Director will be responsible for developing a plan to provide transitional housing services and continuing to improve the Advisory Board, which will solicit donations from the community and civic organizations in the future. The Rabun Case Manager will focus on expanding program capacity and services available to the most impoverished and rural county in our circuit. Other key staff are funded through state funds, and these individuals will assist in carrying out this project to all MJCAC participants. Amounts found in the project budget have been estimated based on recent trends in our program that justify need and quotations from service providers. No more than 15% of the SAMHSA funds are budgeted for infrastructure, and no more than 10% is budgeted for data collection. MJCAC adheres to best practices and evidence-based interventions outlined in the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Key Components, as evidenced by state certification in 2022 and Peer Review provided by the National Drug Court Institute in 2022. We will re-apply for and maintain program certification every even year during this project.