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

The Substance Abuse andMental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental HealthServices (CMHS), is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2019 HealthyTransitions: Improving Life Trajectories for Youth and Young Adults With Serious Mental Disorders Program grants(Short Title: Healthy Transitions). Thepurpose of this programis toimprove access to treatment and support services for youth and young adults,ages 16-25, who have a serious emotional disturbance (SED) or a serious mentalillness (SMI), hereafter referred to as serious mental disorders. It is expected that this program will improveemotional and behavioral health functioning so that this population of youthand young adults can maximize their potential to assume adult roles andresponsibilities and lead full and productive lives. Youthand young adults with SMI or SED between the ages of 16-25, including thosewith intellectual developmental disabilities, may not be working, in school, orin vocational and higher education programs. Some face the additional challenge of experiencing homelessness, orbeing in contact with the juvenile or criminal justice system, therebyincreasing the likelihood of admissions to hospitals, mental health, and/orcorrectional facilities. Unfortunately,these same youth are among the least likely to seek help and may “fall throughthe cracks” and not receive the services and supports they need to becomeproductive and healthy adults. It isimperative that appropriate outreach and engagement processes are developed andimplemented to create access to effective behavioral health interventions andsupports. Theoverall goal of Healthy Transitions will be to provide developmentallyappropriate, culturally and linguistically competent services and supports toaddress serious mental disorders among youth 16 – 25years of age. This will be accomplishedby increasing awareness, screening and detection, outreach and engagement,referrals to treatment, coordination of care, and evidence-informed treatment .