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NATIVE HEALTH is proposing to implement a pilot project that will reach the urban Indigenous, Hispanic, and other underserved and minority populations in Maricopa County. We aim to engage 600 unduplicated participants per year and over the course of five years will have reached 3,000 participants. The agency will implement a robust low-barrier, trauma-informed HIV/HCV/STI and SUD prevention and treatment program centering around opioid use prevention and treatment, rapid testing, initiation to PrEP/PEP, and harm reduction services. Through this program the agency will deploy peer support services and wrap around case management services to improve adherence rates and recovery rates. A robust program evaluation will ensure fidelity to the best practices and performance monitoring over the lifetime of the project.

Decades of practice-to-science efforts have sought to improve prevention and harm reduction efforts within local communities to effectively address the co-occurring mental health, substance use and sexual health needs of under-served and under-resourced youth populations and thwart the growing health disparities. To date, the use of evidence based approaches that integrate substance use, mental health and sexual health related prevention and harm reduction efforts using a prevention navigation SBIRT practice model in local community health settings is greatly lacking. Prevention Navigation has received considerable attention among researchers, clinicians, and policy makers as a promising strategy to help such service gaps within settings and access issues to integrated services. In response to SAMHSA NOFO TI-24-005, a collaborative team from Azusa Pacific University (APU), Maryvale, and Bienestar will implement Project Youth Wellness using a Prevention Navigation Approach for increasing Community Capacity to address co-occurring substance use, mental health and sexual health risk issues among under-served youth populations aged 12-24 in a local community of Los Angeles County called San Gabriel valley, Service Planning Area (SPA) 3.

The Oklahoma State University (OSU) Community Wellness Programs (CWP) Community PACT (Prevention, Advocacy, Counseling, and Testing) is designed to provide substance use prevention, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, HIV, and viral hepatitis prevention and treatment services for racial and ethnic individuals through a coordinated package of evidence-based prevention strategies. Among these strategies are community HIV/STI testing events, substance use disorder screening, referral to treatment, harm reduction services, prevention education and lastly navigation services are established to ensure linkage to services and treatment retention. Community PACT will operate out of a six-county area in the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), to include Payne, Pawnee, Osage, Creek, Okmulgee, and Tulsa Counties and several Native American Nations (Osage, Pawnee, Muscogee Creek, Iowa, Sac & Fox). Within the six-county catchment area, the demographic breakdown for racial and ethnic minorities is: African Americans - 9.3% (86,984), American Indians and Alaska Natives - 8.2% (77,127), Hispanic or Latino - 13% (122,448). The state of Oklahoma has been identified as a priority jurisdiction in accordance with Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative. The proposed six-county area has an HIV incident rate in excess of the state average, particularly among racial/ethnic minority communities, which is why the population of focus for the project will be racial and ethnic minorities aged 17 across the lifespan. There are five primary goals for Community PACT. The first is to enhance the HIV Care Continuum in the catchment area by implementing secondary prevention methods to identify new HIV cases among at risk racial/ethnic minority groups and facilitate linkage to and retention in HIV care. The second is to enhance linkage to and retention in substance use services within the catchment area by implementing secondary prevention methods to identify at risk racial/ethnic minority individuals and refer them to treatment. The third is to increase access to harm reduction education, supplies, and services for at risk racial/ethnic minority individuals. The fourth goal is to increase the capacity of community stakeholders to implement comprehensive community-based substance misuse and HIV prevention education. The fifth goal is to develop and implement culturally competent public messaging and awareness campaigns on the risk of substance misuse among individuals living with HIV and the importance of seeking care and treatment. Each of the five goals is further broken down into SMART objectives which can be individually evaluated. These goals and objectives will be met and evaluated within the five-year timeframe of the project. The total population of the area to be served is 938,581. Furthermore, it is estimated 295,000 of individuals residing in the catchment area are at disparate risk of HIV infection ( Racial and Ethnic Minorities, White Men who have sex with Men, and People who inject drugs). Through both direct and indirect methods, including HIV and sexual health testing, substance use screening and referral to treatment, harm reduction outreach, community education, and mass media campaigns, Community PACT aims to reach at least 20% (59,000) of the at risk population within the catchment area over the five years of the project.

COPE Community Services, Inc. (COPE) proposes the Nexus program in Maricopa and Pima Counties, AZ. Nexus will expand prevention and treatment services for historically underserved individuals at risk for substance use disorder (SUD), co-occurring mental health disorders (COD), and infectious diseases such as HIV. Nexus will serve the community and 280 clients with overlapping concentric circles of care to reduce risk and improve the intended outcomes. Both substance use, particularly opioid use, and HIV incidence have increased in Arizona in the last five years. Opioid deaths in AZ have skyrocketed from 1761 in 2017 to 4076 in 2024. The increase in Fentanyl use exacerbates the increase in HIV incidence; research demonstrates that use of opioids increases the likelihood of HIV transmission and accelerates disease progression (Krishnan, J.M. et al, 2023). Pima and Maricopa Counties combined see the highest proportion of overdose deaths (80% of deaths in 2023 [ADHS, 2024]) and HIV incidence (81% of new cases in 2022 [ADHS, 2023]) in the state, and Maricopa County is a Priority Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) jurisdiction. Exacerbating these needs, access to coordinated care is a key gap and top priority for both Pima and Maricopa Counties. In response to these needs, COPE proposes to implement Nexus. Nexus will expand the number of providers serving the target population, increase access to harm reduction services, and critically, provide integrated services for the conditions of focus. Nexus's syndemic approach creates multiple layers of services comprising of community prevention strategies; SUD/COD screening and treatment; and screening and referral for HIV, viral hepatitis, and STIs. This approach enables the program to serve clients directly and have a broader impact by serving the communities in which they live. Based on county demographics and previous programming, it is anticipated that clients will identify as follows: 67% men, 33% women; 40% Hispanic/Latino and 60% Non-Hispanic/Latino; 70% White, 12% Black, 10% two or more races, 6% American Indian/Alaska Native, 1% Asian, and 1% Pacific Islander. Four evidence-based treatment practices will be implemented by the fourth month of the program: Motivational Interviewing, SMART Recovery, Case Management, and Harm Reduction. The combination of experienced providers, COPE's extensive experience working with the focus population, and the effectiveness of the proposed services will ensure success of Nexus's goals: 1) expand prevention and treatment services designed to reduce behavioral health and HIV disparities; 2) provide substance use prevention, treatment, and HIV and viral hepatitis prevention and treatment to vulnerable populations; and 3) improve behavioral health and risk reduction outcomes for enrolled clients. Research shows that the identified practices demonstrate effectiveness in achieving the intended outcomes: 80% maintained or improved substance use and mental health symptoms; 70% maintained abstinence or reduction in risky sexual behaviors; and 85% maintained or improved social connectedness. The targeted treatment approach will be combined with community-level harm reduction and environmental prevention strategies to affect broader change. COPE is ready to expand its current services to strengthen the intersection between traditionally siloed services. Implementation of Nexus is crucial to meet the unmet need for evidence-based services to reduce SUD, COD, and infectious disease in Maricopa and Pima Counties, AZ.

Centerstone’s Trauma and Grief Treatment (C-TGT) will increase access to effective trauma- and grief-focused treatment and service systems in 3 Florida counties (DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota) for 570 children/adolescents (ages 0-17) and their families who experience traumatic events, including under-served/resourced children of LGBTQ+, rural, racial/ethnic minority, and non-English speaking communities and Veteran/military families (Yr. 1: 90; Yrs. 2-5: 120/year). C-TGT’s focus population demographics are expected to mirror those in the catchment area under age 18 with: 51%, male; 49%, female; 57%, White; 11%, Black; and 25%, Hispanic/Latino individuals. C-TGT will serve underserved/-resourced subpopulations from among the area’s 5,506 LGBT, 6,495 rural, 60,162 racial/ethnic minority, and 22,385 non-English speaking children/adolescents, and the 17,680 Veteran families. Consistent with Florida youths’ clinical characteristics, 72,754 (52%) will face an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE); 34,978 (25%) will experience 2+ ACEs; and an expected 18,190 under age 18 will have a serious emotional disturbance. In 2021, child abuse cases in DeSoto, 752; Manatee, 1,103; and Sarasota, 631, exceeded Florida, 540/100,000. Trauma risks among area children include food insecurity among 26,675 facing; no insurance among 12,800; and chronic school absence among 17,425. C-TGT’s core evidence-based strategies/interventions will leverage cultural competency guidance from SAMHSA’s TIP 59: Improving Cultural Competency and include NCTSN-endorsed Assessment-Based Treatment for Traumatized Children: Trauma Assessment Pathway (TAP); Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT); Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP); and Trauma and Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents (TGCTA). Additional population-specific strategies/interventions include skills-based prevention/recovery (e.g., NCTSN’s Skills for Psychological Recovery), Let’s Connect, AFFIRM, and DIMENSIONS Tobacco Free Program. C-TGT’s goals include: (1) Implement community-based, culturally competent, quality, accessible programming for the focus population; (2) Develop infrastructure and expand community capacity to implement/sustain trauma-/grief-informed services for the focus population; (3) Improve the health status and outcomes for young children (ages 0-10) and children/adolescents (ages 11-17); and (4) Develop/disseminate a replicable service model. Measurable objectives include: train 5 project staff on the impact of complex trauma, etc.; provide age-appropriate screening/assessment/referral and triage into appropriate evidence-based trauma-/grief-informed therapies, care management, etc., for an unduplicated 570 children/adolescents and their families; provide language access services to 100%; establish mobile services in 1 county; screen/assess 100% of parents/caregivers; develop/implement outreach/referral pathways with 50 stakeholders/organizations; increase Letters of Commitment by 10; develop/implement screening/referral procedures with 10 partners; coordinate with/provide training for 3,000 Centerstone and other child-serving organization staff; annually develop/revise training/onboarding procedures; collaborate biannually with Treatment and Service Adaptation Centers; convene and Advisory Council comprising 20% focus population youth/families; outreach to 10,000 area individuals; link/coordinate with 2 funding mechanism; and report biannually on an evaluation and subpopulation disparities. C-TGT will reduce mental health symptomatology among 60%, tobacco/nicotine use among 50% receiving DIMENSIONS, past-30 day criminal justice involvement among 60% with criminal justice history, and past-30 day unexcused absences by 30%; improve social connectedness among 60%, everyday functioning among 60%, housing stability among 80% receiving resources; and parenting skills/confidence among 60% of parents/caregivers; and achieve satisfaction among 80% and an 80% retention rate.

ABSTRACT SUMMARY The University of Southern California Child and Adolescent Collaborative for Trauma-Informed Care (USC-CACTIC) will apply evidence-based, trauma-informed principles to raise the standard of care and expand access to evidence-based trauma, grief, and loss mental health services for children and youth ages 0-21 with complex trauma by implementing sustainable methods that are culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate in multiple settings. To achieve the aims of this project, we will establish a synergistic public-private collaboration with three organizational partners: the University of Southern California (USC; private university), LAC+USC Medical Center (LAC+USC; public medical center owned by the County of Los Angeles), and the Violence Intervention Program (VIP; private non-profit public benefit corporation). Five clinics will partner to improve and expand services: 3 VIP clinics: Community Mental Health Center (CMHC), Outpatient Care Services (OCS), and the VIP Medical HUB (co-located at LAC+USC) and 2 LAC+USC clinics: Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic (CAOPC) and Pediatric Primary Care (PPC). The majority of clients served at all 5 clinics are from socioeconomically disadvantaged, predominantly Latino communities in metro Los Angeles. Faculty from the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC are individually credentialed attending staff at LAC+USC. The specific aims of the USC-CACTIC are threefold: (1) expand access and improve culturally responsive, evidence-based trauma screening, assessment, trauma-informed psychotherapy, outreach, and prevention services for unserved, underserved, or inappropriately served, primarily low-income, Latino children and youth ages 0-21 with complex trauma; (2) cultivate and support a collaborative, trauma-informed system of care that is recovery-oriented and equity-based across all pediatric psychiatry and behavioral health services at the Violence Intervention Program (VIP) and Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center (LAC+USC); and (3) reduce secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout for personnel at VIP and LAC+USC pediatric services who work directly with trauma-exposed youth. We anticipate that over five years, an estimated 7,440 children, adolescents, and their families will receive trauma screening, case management, individual therapy, or group interventions as a result of this project. The USC-CACTIC will expand access and improve direct, evidence-based, trauma-informed mental health treatments and services by increasing the number of clinicians and case managers and training existing and new providers on evidence-based psychotherapies for treating complex trauma. Working with pre-doctoral psychology interns and child psychiatry fellows, we will both improve current services and train the next generation of psychiatric and behavioral health providers on trauma-informed practices early in their careers. We will establish a multicultural Consumer Advisory Board to explore ways to reduce disparities in access to mental healthcare. To create a more trauma-informed workplace, the USC-CACTIC will offer trauma-informed care (TIC) training to pediatric workforce members to increase awareness about the prevalence of complex trauma, recognize signs, symptoms, and long-term impacts, cultivate understanding of institutionalized trauma, and teach skills to avoid retraumatization of vulnerable youth. Vicarious trauma has been associated with providing care for multiply-traumatized children and youth, so addressing workforce wellness is essential to our success. We will evaluate secondary traumatic stress (STS) in our pediatric providers and staff and implement training and strategies to STS, compassion fatigue, and burnout.

The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), University of Missouri-Kansas City Collaborative Center to Advance Health Services, Columbia University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry and a coalition of 50 national and regional interprofessional health, behavioral health, harm reduction and legal/justice organizations form the Opioid Response Network (ORN). ORN provides training and technical assistance (TTA) to grantees, individuals, organizations and communities. ORN addresses opioid use disorder (OUD), stimulant use disorder (StUD), other substance use disorders (SUDs) and co-occurring psychiatric disorders across all 50 states and nine territories and provides TTA to State Opioid Response (SOR) grantees and Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grantees. In 2022, 6.5 million people met criteria for an OUD and 5 million for a StUD (SAMHSA, 2023). SUDs and other psychiatric disorders commonly co-occur, with 36% of adults living with a mental health (MH) disorder and substance use disorder (SAMHSA, 2023). Health disparities across SUD and MH reinforce the need to center health equity and social justice. In 2022, overdose death rates in Black and Indigenous communities exceeded White communities (KFF, 2024). These data emphasize the need for both culturally and regionally tailored TTA. For the 2024-2027 grant cycle ORN proposes to serve annually: Year 1 - 40,000, Year 2 - 45,000, Year 3 - 50,000 for a total - 135,000 unduplicated individuals. ORN will address the following five goals: G1A: Increase outreach to under-resourced and underserved communities. G1B. Build capacity of substance use workforce to address disparities and integrate health equity. G2: Increase the number of interprofessional providers with the capacity to provide culturally relevant, evidence-based substance use services across the continuum of care. G3: Build capacity to address and decrease stigma. G4: Provide a diverse, comprehensive, and coordinated network to deliver localized, tailored, and culturally responsive educational resources and training. G5: Maximize impact, utilization, and sustainability of SAMHSA and national TTA resources through improved coordination and communication of TTA and products. ORN's objectives include: 1a: Establish a representative steering committee composed of members from underserved populations and convene a minimum of four quarterly meetings to review and assess priorities to advance health equity. 2a: Increase number of providers trained across prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery by 10% each year of the grant. 3a: Develop four anti-stigma resources per year that address wide-spread stigma in underserved communities. 4a: Year 1, analyze the established repository, vet 6 years of existing resources, and create an inventory of resources that prioritizes underserved communities. 5a: Maintain existing partner relationships with SAMHSA-funded TTA centers (ATTC, PCSS, PTTC) and establish collaborative relationships with 4 new centers. Under the leadership of a vast network of diverse community partners (representing over two million constituents), ORN provides culturally relevant, innovative and evidence-based TTA.

COPES expands existing services in school-based health centers (SBHCs). Using evidence-based, trauma-informed, healing-centered curricula and strategies, COPES provides psychoeducation, behavioral and mental health interventions, and assistance in meeting basic needs to increase resilience and coping skills, prevent violence, and improve health outcomes for students and staff. In this integrated primary care behavioral health approach, licensed behavioral health clinicians and community health worker dyads provide services in the health center and the community, with support from a program coordinator and a medical and project director. COPES is a collaboration between the University of Illinois Board of Trustees (UIBOT) and Rush University Medical Center (Rush) SBHCs, located in Chicago Public Schools, and serves predominantly lower-income African American and Latino communities on Chicago’s south and west sides. Both programs offer integrated primary care and behavioral health services to children and youth, and UIBOT SBHCs also offer adult services. LCSW-CHW dyads employ the following strategies: self-regulation skill-building using the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and other self-regulation modalities, clinical care, and referral to human services and specialty services. Project goals include enhanced access to culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed, healing-centered psychoeducation and mental health services and assistance in meeting basic needs to address external stressors that may impair physical, emotional, and social outcomes. Project metrics include assessment of successful completion of CRM teacher certification by LCSW-CHWs, delivery of CRM skills via clinical and community activities, and participant experience of CRM workshops; number of patients served and visits offered; increased screening and referral completion for food insecurity, perceived stress, housing stability, and depression; the number of behavioral health patients receiving at least one primary care visit; participant self-report of improvement in coping skills, school and/or work performance, and positive relational experiences; LCSW attendance at home school-sponsored Behavioral Health Team meetings; and well-being assessment for school health center staff. Annually, we expect to serve at least 400 patients over 2800 visits for behavioral health and community health worker services. We expect to serve at least 100 participants through CRM workshops. Our plan is to sustain this access and these services through billable encounters and future foundation and agency grant funding.

This project aims to ensure the successful implementation of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model by addressing critical staffing and training needs before and shortly after its launch on January 1, 2025. By bridging the funding gap until full reimbursement is available, the project will prepare our organization to deliver quality CCBHC services from the outset. Key objectives include increasing compensation for current staff and recruiting, hiring, and training new staff members. Population of Focus and Geographic Catchment Area: The project targets individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), substance use disorders (SUD), and co-occurring disorders in Eddy County, New Mexico. Spanning approximately 4,198 square miles with a population of 58,000, Eddy County faces significant behavioral health challenges including high rates of drug overdose deaths, limited healthcare access, and socioeconomic disparities. The project goals are to increase compensation for current staff, recruit, hire and train new staff, and furnish offices for new staff, replace vital technology for existing staff, and hold Team Building Trainings for all Lifehouse staff. Carlsbad Lifehouse has a proven track record in providing comprehensive mental health and substance use disorder services since 2016. Our growth and success include expanding residential treatment facilities, outpatient programs, and community support services to meet the diverse needs of Eddy County. Key personnel include the Project Manager, Chief of Staff, Office Manager, and a diverse team of clinicians, peer support workers, and administrative staff dedicated to delivering high-quality care and operational excellence.

The YWCA seeks grant funding to support the expansion of our youth development program to support ongoing conversations nd education around mental health, identity, belonging, and resilience. The funds from this grant will enhance and expand our ability to deliver these programs in a resource limited, highly diverse, urban area. Each of our programs is designed to address either educational or social-emotional learning gaps in the Anchorage youth population. - We will be facilitating youth circles at elementary and middle schools in the Anchorage School District - We will be facilitating Youth Leadership Councils at middle and high schools in the Anchorage School District.

Walker Therapeutic & Educational Programs (Walker) seeks to address the mental health needs of young children and their families in Boston through a comprehensive project aimed at enhancing early childhood mental health clinical and consultation services. By offering targeted professional development to clinicians and consultants, Walker will improve early childhood assessments, interventions, and therapeutic techniques, facilitating the development of best practices for managing challenging behaviors among young children. We will provide training in the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment, ARC Grow framework, and Brazelton Touchpoints Center, along with resources and membership endorsements for early childhood mental health consultants. We will also provide extensive training for early childcare providers and establish virtual office hours for ongoing support. Additionally, we will develop a therapeutic preschool model and upgrade facilities to accommodate large-scale training. Our effforts focus on BIPOC and low-income neighborhoods in Boston to create positive learning environments, reduce suspensions and expulsions, and promote equitable access to mental health services.

WARM CENTER FOR HOLISTIC HEALING FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Funding will create The WARM Center for Holistic Healing for victims of intimate partner violence. The Center for Holistic Healing will be part of the WARM Safety and Independence Program for domestic violence victims. The Center will bring vitally needed alternative body-mind trauma therapies to over 200 low-income victims in Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx. The overall program is funded by NYS Office of Victim Services, (OVS-$549K annually for next three years) NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, (MOCJ-$1 million annually) foundations/corporations (Valentine Perry Snyder Fund, West Harlem Development Corporation, Osborne Association-$67.5 annually) and individuals ($80,000).

This project will provide mental health training to over 6,700 emergency first responders. The Clark County Fire Department will partner with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department so both organizations can benefit from behavioral health training.

Lyon County Human Services is requesting $603,964 for the expansion of the existing mobile crisis response team to include an appropriately credentialed staff to respond to youth in crisis throughout Lyon County. Setting where youth frequently experience a behavioral health crisis include schools and private residences, this team would respond to the youth wherever they are at in the community with the goal to deflect the youth in crisis from the hospital or juvenile justice system. In the post-pandemic world of youth there has been an increase of youth experiencing behavioral health crisis throughout Lyon County as reported by caregivers and our school professionals. An increased amount of youth are experiencing high anxiety, severe depression leading up to suicidal ideation, and are coping through substance abuse and misuse. The youth team would be a co-responder response of the credentialed staff (LCSW, or Marriage and Family Therapist, or Clinical Professional Counselor) and a Qualified Mental Health Associate to allow for de-escalation and streamlined connection to case management.

StayWell Health Care Inc: Clinical Community Integration Program Addressing SDOH and Mental Health Abstract StayWell Health Care, Inc. is expanding the Clinical Community Integration Program in Waterbury, CT. This innovative initiative employs a two-step approach to significantly enhance case management, referrals, and care coordination. Focused on addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), mental health, and substance use disorders, the program aims to expand access to essential services and support within the community. Uninsured clients who demonstrate extensive needs and hospital recidivism through screening will be referred into the Community Care Team (CCT) and their hospital utilization will be analyzed for improved outcomes. Clients may be referred to an array of community or clinical providers by program staff, including internally to StayWell Health Center for primary, dental or behavioral health care as applicable. This project will serve a total of 960 unduplicated adult individuals annually and during the funding period. Population of focus: adult uninsured/Medicaid recipients of any gender identity who have a.) positive screening results on multiple indicators of the PRAPARE social determinant of health screening tool and no medical home; b.) >=6 Emergency Department visits in a period of 4 months; c.) homelessness and d.) dual diagnoses of mental health disorder and chronic conditions or substance use disorder. The geographic catchment area is Waterbury, CT with a population of 114,403 residents. Demographics of Waterbury: White 37,760 (33%;) Black 22,269 (19%); Latino 45,281 (40%); Asian 2,349 (2%); Native American 307 (< 1%); Other Race/Ethnicity 6,437 (6%) (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2016-20). Clinical characteristics of the Waterbury, CT area: 16% of Waterbury adults, ages 18-64 have no health insurance, and 40% are on Medicaid. [5] Overall, 18% of Waterbury adults report experiencing anxiety regularly and 15% report being impacted by depression. Prior to the pandemic, 26.5% of adults with any mental illness in Connecticut reported having Medicaid coverage in the past year. [6] In 2016 and 2017, 51% of the drug overdose deaths in Waterbury involved fentanyl; in 2020 and 2021, this share was 87%. [7] Waterbury has a 22% poverty rate and the life expectancy is one of the lowest in the state at just 76.8 years Consequently, the population in need requires a whole-person intensive case management approach from many entities to put in place the foundational supports of income, health insurance, identification, transportation and medical home before the focus can shift to addressing the more significant issues of mental health treatment, medication adherence, and substance abuse treatment. Project goals include increased screening of the uninsured for SDOH and expediting clients to mental health resources/referring them to CCT as necessary; creating opportunities to serve more CCT clients through thoughtful discharge processes; developing improved outcome data demonstrating linkages to care and reduction in hospital recidivism; maintaining adherence to equitable and culturally competent care and services aligned with CLAS standards. The project will address these goals and needs through innovative collaboration that sets participants on a path of independence, stable housing, security, employment and health while imparting an improved quality of life, while saving money in the overall health system.

Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and its partner, Carnegie Mellon University's (CMU) Center for Transformative Play (CTP), propose to develop a prototype mobile Chill Room app that uses game design techniques to motivate player learning and support players in self-regulation. This app will expand the impact across Pennsylvania of AHN’s Chill Project, which provides behavioral health services to equip students, teachers, and parents with resiliency-building skills to cope with stress in a healthy manner by expanding access to schools which may not participate in the program or have a Chill Room. The Chill Project’s school-based services and proprietary evidence-based behavioral health coping skill curriculum have been piloted and proven effective in reducing the number of disruptive incidents, increasing the well-being for families, and enhancing resilience across an entire school community. Our proposed expansion will require delicate planning to encourage school district and health care system involvement and ensure that underserved communities have access to these resources to serve all students, regardless of circumstances.

The ""Mobile Mental Health Access Point for Rural Californians Project"" aims to pilot a mobile van program by La Familia Central Valley (LFCV) to enhance mental healthcare access in the underserved rural areas of Stanislaus and Merced Counties in California. The initiative will reach at least 250 individuals, providing mental health and substance use screenings, counseling, telehealth services, and social service connections. The project will also launch a comprehensive public outreach campaign to raise awareness and encourage participation. Modifications to the van will provide a comfortable environment for services and ensure HIPAA compliance. The pilot program, staffed with a bilingual team, including a Promotora and a Staff Therapist, will deliver services directly to community hubs such as schools, migrant camps, parks, and churches. The focus will be on anxiety, depression, trauma, and substance use, transitioning from screenings to direct counseling over the project year. Special attention will be given to Latinos, farmworkers, rural women, and seniors—demographics traditionally facing barriers to mental healthcare. The program will address these barriers by bringing services to the community and offering telehealth options for those unable to attend in-person sessions. Goal 1: Increase Access to Health Services: 1.1: Establish the necessary staffing within the first three months. 1.2: Screen at least 250 unique individuals for anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. 1.3: Provide 50 individuals with assistance in applying for social services. 1.4: Ensure 30% of clients diagnosed with mental health issues receive treatment through various means. Goal 2: Develop and Implement a Public Health Marketing and Outreach Campaign: 2.1: Form at least five partnerships with local organizations. 2.2: Create and implement an outreach campaign utilizing multiple media outlets. 2.3: Participate in five community events to promote the van and services. 2.4: Conduct at least two local presentations to raise mental health awareness. 2.5: Develop and disseminate culturally and linguistically tailored educational materials. Goal 3: Evaluate the Feasibility and Effectiveness of the Mobile Mental Health Van Program: 3.1: Generate a report on the interest and need for the mobile unit by monitoring turnout and feedback. 3.2: Share the report with city and county organizations to inform future expansions. By fostering partnerships with local organizations and providing culturally competent care, LFCV aims to diminish mental health stigma and improve outcomes for the target populations. The initiative will also provide social service assistance to alleviate socio-economic stressors contributing to mental health issues. The pilot will inform future program expansions and sustainable service delivery models, supported by Medicare and Medicaid billing.

Project Title: Expansion of School-Based Mental Health Workforce and Associated Services Red Oak has served the Northeast Ohio community since 1963, providing mental health prevention, intervention, and treatment services to nearly twelve thousand children and adolescents each year across twenty school districts and one hundred school buildings. This workforce expansion project addresses the current behavioral health workforce shortage by building the clinical capacity of non-licensed providers, allowing for provision of high-quality services to a projected three-thousand additional children and adolescents in the Greater Akron area over the course of three years. A training curriculum for 120 hours of core instruction will be developed in partnership with local academic partners and mental health experts, and an additional 72 hours of training and supervision will be provided to clinicians over the span of the following nine months, for a total of 192 hours of in-depth on-the-job training, along with eight weeks of consecutive real–world engagement with experienced field clinicians. As a result, these clinicians will be equipped to address the non-therapy mental health treatment needs facing students in the school-based setting, freeing therapists to operate at the top of their license, increasing capacity to bring additional students into care, and reducing overall caseloads. Headquartered in the Highland Square neighborhood of Akron, Ohio, Red Oak serves children and adolescents (ages 3-19) using a primarily school-based model of care that allows for provision of mental health services during a student’s school day. In 2023, fifty-seven percent of the consumers Red Oak served were students of color, forty-nine percent were male, and eight-eight percent were living at or below the poverty line. The need for mental health services has skyrocketed over the past five years, with Red Oak serving nearly three times as many students last year as in 2018. During the same period, the number of providers leaving the field due to overwhelm or burnout also surged, leaving the community mental health sector reeling as we attempted to meet the increased demand without an available and experienced workforce. Goal 1: Partner with academic and field experts to develop a curriculum and training program for non-licensed providers that prepares them to meet the mental health needs of the community. Goal 2: Increase behavioral health workforce capacity by providing practical, comprehensive training paired with concurrent opportunities to work alongside experienced field clinicians. Goal 3: Improve the health outcomes and quality of life for youth and adolescents in the Greater Akron area by serving an additional 1,000 students per year for 3 years. Over the course of this project, Red Oak will train and deploy 96 non-licensed school-based mental health professionals, increasing our current workforce by 76% and allowing us to meet the mental health needs of an additional 3,000 children and adolescents over a three-year period. Trainees will receive 192 hours of training (120 in their initial 8 weeks and 72 hours in the 9 months that follow), along with consecutive field engagement opportunities with experienced clinicians who are equipped to provide mentoring and support their continued development.

To address violence and its impact on the mental health and wellness of young people in Chicago, Communities United will implement its Healing Through Justice initiative, engaging 500 at-risk youth through positive youth development, restorative practices, while developing key Social Emotional Learning (SEL) capacities among youth participants. These SEL capacities include social skills, positive identity, contribution (desire to contribute to family and community), self-management, and academic self-efficacy. These capacities are proven to contribute to longer-term gains such as thriving, and decreased negative risk-taking behaviors. Healing Through Justice, is an innovative intervention that combines an asset-based approach to youth development, community social action, and engages community stakeholders to support young people's post-traumatic growth by engaging them with their lived experience and fostering the development of their personal assets to support overall wellbeing (trauma recovery). Through its Healing Through Justice model, Communities United engages young people of color to lead projects that are grounded in their lived experiences to create change in their communities. In Healing Through Justice, youth 1) reflect on their personal identity and narrative; 2) develop an understanding of root cause analysis of issues impact on them, their families and communities; and 3) become empowered to choose and lead community action projects focused on structural solutions to change the built environment. The result of Healing Through Justice is that, by working to heal their community, youth undergo a powerful personal transformation and experience healing themselves. Healing Through Justice makes intentional the process of trauma recovery through community action.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City’s (NAMI-NYC’s) project, the Role of Peer & Family Support in Mental Health Recovery, will provide peer-based culturally and age-appropriate education and support programs to 1,500 individuals in New York City living with serious mental illness (SMI) and their family members/caregivers and friends. NAMI-NYC’s programs are targeted to individuals aged 13 to 55+ and stand apart because they are led both for and by individuals and families affected by SMI. In addition, these programs are free of charge regardless of one’s income, insurance, or immigration status, and NAMI-NYC does not require participants to provide evidence of a mental health diagnosis. This model helps to break down the historical barriers-to-entry that many underserved communities experience when seeking mental health support, such as racism, discrimination, stigmatization of SMI, and mistrust of the U.S. healthcare system. The primary project goal is to increase NAMI-NYC’s visibility within the City’s underserved communities so that they are made aware of and have better access to the mental health support and education that they deserve. Funding will enable NAMI-NYC to increase the capacity of its helpline, classes, support groups, family match program, public education events, community-based presentations (In Our Own Voice) and school-based presentations (Ending the Silence). NAMI-NYC will also expand its programming to reach more individuals in underserved populations. More specifically, it will increase the number of classes and/or support groups offered in Spanish and Mandarin as well as add programming tailored to the specific needs of the BIPOC and LGBTQ communities.

BGCSM Healthy Minds, Great Futures integrates trauma-informed practices into the after-school mentoring and development programs of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine (BGCSM). Our intervention is a mental health model that provides universal services (Tier 1 support) to all BGCSM members daily and individualized services (Tier 2 support) as 1:1 pull-out or scheduled small groups. Staff are trained through in-the-moment modeling by an embedded social worker. They are also provided formal instruction to understand trauma in children and youth. Further training is included about building supportive environments for themselves and club members to develop resilience. A social worker is embedded into the staff of each of our hub locations in southern Maine. A quiet space that is intentionally furnished will be created in each hub as a place where members can take time to decompress. This project will serve over 50 full- and part-time staff members and more than 450 club members. 37 staff members are program-focused and work at one of the three hubs with an embedded social worker. Staff at all our 9 sites will participate in the formal training during organizational training days. 70% of Club youth live in low-income situations, and 60% of our children and teens identify as people of color, including many immigrants and refugees. Amidst the affordable housing crisis, many of our members and their families are currently or have recently experienced a level of homelessness and/or displacement. Goal 1: Staff report confidence in their use of behavioral strategies that increase member engagement and safety. • By September 29, 2025, 100% of full-time program staff and 75% of part-time staff will have participated in training on behavior management strategies, understanding BGCSM member needs and experiences, and creating trauma-informed environments. • By September 29, 2025, 80% of full-time program staff will report an increase in their confidence in using behavioral strategies in their work. • By September 29, 2025 80% of program staff will report feeling supported in their direct work with members. Goal 2: Club members increase their sense of safety, belonging and wellbeing. • By July 30, 2025, 70% of Club members participating in the spring 2025 BGCA NYOI report and increase in their sense of safety, belonging and wellbeing. • Survey administered to Portland teens at the end of the teen retreat reflects an increase in wellbeing and belonging among participants. Survey will be conducted before June 15, 2025.

This project adds mental health clinicians to our SASH affordable housing sites throughout Vermont, and will be available to serve as many as 2,000 older adults and adults with disabilities. The equivalent of ten full time clinicians are employed by local community mental health designated agencies and embedded at the local SASH sites joining teams comprising of a SASH care coordinator and wellness nurse (RN). A Regional Mental Health Clinician to lead public health approaches to lower barriers, and support improved mental and emotional wellness throughout all SASH panels statewide. They will provide virtual and in-person education for participants and SASH staff with particular emphasis to support the SASH teams without the SASH Clinician. Chittenden County sites with the SEWC will add a new program, called Success in Housing - Identify Needs & Enhancing Support (SHINES). The SHINES Coach will specifically work with residents who were formerly homeless. Through targeted support, education and linking to services, such as emotional wellness support from the clinician, the SHINES Coach will focus on housing retention and keeping people successfully housed. Six overarching goals of the project include: 1) SASH participants at program sites will have access to and engage in expedited mental health support, within 1-3 business days of referral. 2) SASH participants at program sites will experience decreased stigma associated with seeking mental health support. 3) SASH Participants at program sites who are high Emergency Department utilizers will experience fewer unnecessary Emergency Department visits over time and experience resiliency when health emergencies do arise. 4) SASH participants at program sites will experience a reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms over time. 5) SASH will build on our coordinated public health approach by adding resources and systems that support SASH staff, supporting emotional wellness groups at SASH sites, and support participants to access mental health care. 6) Individuals enrolling in the Success in Housing - Identify Needs & Enhancing Support (SHINES) program will experience long-term, stable housing.

The State of Oregon's 988 strategic communications and community engagement campaign will focus on two key goals during the project period of Sept. 30, 2024, through Sept. 29, 2025: 1) Increasing general awareness of 988 across the state and among key audiences. 2) Educating communities on what to expect when reaching out to 988 for themselves, a friend or a loved one. The $3 million in Congressionally Directed Spending will lay the foundation for ""Year One"" of the state's 988 public awareness campaign, which will be a multi-year, multi-channel effort.

The CDS SAMHSA Grant for Expanded Mental Health Care for Military and Veteran Families in Alaska supports the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic (Cohen Clinic) at Anchorage Community Mental Health Services (Alaska Behavioral Health; AKBH). The Cohen Clinic at AKBH provides confidential, high-quality, mental health care services and local resource connections for veterans, military service members, and their families in Alaska. The Cohen Clinic at AKBH and the entire Cohen Veterans Network, Inc. (CVN) works to strengthen mental health outcomes and is focused on early intervention of mild to moderate mental health conditions before they become chronic. All therapy and counseling options offered are the current, evidenced-based best practices available based on research. Mental health care is offered in person to those in the vicinity of the Anchorage and Fairbanks clinic locations but is also available to all veterans, service members, and family members throughout Alaska through the use of secure, patient friendly tele-mental health care. The goals of the project include increasing access to mental health care to the veteran/military community in Alaska by serving approx. 1,000 clients; improving clinical outcomes for depression, anxiety, and PTSD; and supporting suicide prevention efforts for this population.

HopeHealth Hospice & Palliative Care requests support for mental health counseling and services to address the unique needs of children and their families served by HopeHealth’s Pediatric Supportive Services program, a hospice program for children in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts who have a terminal illness, and for children who have lost a loved one. HopeHealth Pediatric Supportive Services offers mental health care through social workers, chaplains and professional grief counselors for children and adults, and HopeHealth offers comprehensive grief counseling services in English, Spanish and Portuguese, including a children’s grief camp, Camp BraveHeart. Proposed services include: • Home visits by a consistent team of social workers, chaplains and grief counselors to support the whole family through the course of a child’s illness; • Social-emotional and spiritual support for patients, siblings, parents or guardians, including pet therapy. • Individualized and age-appropriate one-on-one grief support counseling for families for up to 13 months following the loss of a child; • Grief support groups tailored to the needs of different family members for as long as needed, including Loss of a Young Child and Grief Support Groups for Children and Teens. • Children’s grief camp, Camp Braveheart, offered free for kids 4-17 who have experienced a loss.