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The purpose of this program is to assist high-risk youth and families and promote resilience and equity in communities that have recently faced civil unrest through implementation of evidence-based violence prevention, and community youth engagement programs, as well as linkages to trauma-informed behavioral health services.
The goals of ReCAST include:
- Building a foundation to promote well-being, resiliency, and community healing through community-based participatory approaches
- Strengthening the integration of behavioral health services and other community systems to address the social determinants of health
- Creating more equitable access to trauma informed community behavioral health resources
- Ensuring that program services are culturally specific and developmentally appropriate
Successes of ReCAST 2016-2022
- Trained 16,735 members of the mental health workforce
- 90,123 community stakeholders trained in trauma-informed approaches, including violence prevention, and mental health literacy
- 77,235 youth, young adults, and family members provided with high-quality trauma-informed mental health services
- 8,623 new partnerships established among city and community agencies to support high-risk youth and their families
Current and Future Grantees
In the wake of several high-profile incidents of civil unrest, Congress appropriated funds to engage affected communities and to help high risk youth and families who have experienced trauma (FY16 Project AWARE funds).
- Baltimore City, MD
- Chicago, IL
- Minneapolis, MN
- St. Louis County, MO
- Oakland, CA – Refunded in FY 21
- Bexar County (San Antonio), TX- Refunded in FY 21
- Flint, MI- Refunded in FY 21
- Milwaukee, WI- Refunded in FY 21
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Dallas, TX
- Louisville, KY
- Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), NC
- Philadelphia, PA
- Denver, CO
- Lawrenceville, GA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Alleghany County (Pittsburgh), PA
- Oakland, CA
- Bexar County (San Antonio), TX
- Flint, MI
- Milwaukee, WI
- Fairfield, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Miami, FL
- Jacksonville, FL
- New Orleans, LA
- Bangor, ME
- Charlotte, NC
- Santa Fe, NM
- Albuquerque, NM
- Cleveland Heights, OH
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Lessons Learned
- The importance of the participatory approach
- Building trust and relationships in the community
- Collaboration and partnership in community (community advisory boards)
- Addressing trauma (for community members and workforce)
- Culturally relevant programs and services
- “Nothing about us without us”
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Challenges
- Workforce burnout
- On-going challenges in community
- COVID
- On-going civil unrest
- Increase in community violence
- Bureaucracy – barrier to get the money out the door
- Takes time to build trust
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Program Staff
Jennifer Treger, M.S. / Public Health Advisor
Jennifer Winston, M.P.H., CPH / Public Health Advisor
Nancy Kelly, M.S.Ed., Branch Chief, Mental Health Promotion Branch
Captain Maryann Robinson as Acting Division Director