Description
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services announces the availability of funds to continue and expand grant activities funded under the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, Treatment and Service Adaptation Centers - Category II, and Community Treatment and Services Centers - Category III. The purpose of this one-year grant award to the Treatment and Services Adaptation Centers (TSA) - Category II and the Community Treatment and Services Centers (CTS) Category III is to continue and enhance current trauma treatment and services, and to expand their activities to the child welfare system and juvenile justice/dependency court systems and/or the publicly funded child mental health system providing services to these systems. This RFA has been developed for both TSA and CTS Centers to apply for funding. Separate requirements are listed for each in Section I of this RFA. TSA Centers and CTS Centers are to respond to the Evaluation Criteria in Section V-1 (Sections A and B) that have been designed specifically for them. The overall goal of the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) is to improve treatment and services for children and adolescents who have experienced traumatic events and to increase access to these treatments and services throughout the United States. The initiative is designed to address child trauma issues by creating a National Network of grantees - the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)- that works collaboratively to develop and promote effective trauma treatment, services and other resources for children and adolescents exposed to an array of traumatic events. The NCTSN Centers collaborate to develop, implement, and evaluate effective trauma treatment and services and partner with other community agencies to transform service delivery approaches so that trauma services are effectively implemented within local child-serving community service systems. To date, NCTSI has developed and implemented effective interventions to reduce immediate distress from exposure to traumatic events; developed and provided training in trauma-focused services for use in child mental health clinics, schools, child welfare and protective services, among other service areas; and developed widely used intervention protocols for disaster victims. Treatment and Service Adaptation Centers (TSA) - Category II Treatment and Service Adaptation (TSA) Centers - Category II provide national expertise on specific types of traumatic events, population groups and service systems, and support the specialized adaptation of effective treatment and service approaches for communities across the country. TSA Centers are expected to build partnerships with CTS Centers that strengthen NCTSN's networks, promote innovation, and increase the quality and accessibility of trauma-informed interventions and practices. TSA Centers also develop training and implementation approaches for trauma interventions so that these interventions can be disseminated throughout the country. Additionally, TSA Centers are also expected to enhance and expand training and implementation approaches in community and child-serving service system settings so that these interventions can be disseminated throughout the country. Community Treatment and Services Centers (CTS) - Category III The Community Treatment and Services (CTS) Centers - Category III are community-focused Centers that promote the local use of trauma-informed practices and interventions for children and adolescents. CTS Centers implement and evaluate effective trauma-focused and trauma-informed treatment and services in community settings and in youth-serving service systems. CTS's also collaborate with other NCTSN networks on clinical issues, service approaches, policy, financing, and training issues. The Centers are expected to identify trauma-informed practices and interventions that address child trauma needs in their communities, collaborate with TSA Centers that target similar priority areas, and work with other community agencies to promote trauma-informed service delivery within local community service systems. SAMHSA has demonstrated that prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover from mental and substance use disorders. Behavioral health services improve health status and reduce health care and other costs to society. Continued improvement in the delivery and financing of prevention, treatment and recovery support services provides a cost effective opportunity to advance and protect the Nation's health. To continue to improve the delivery and financing of prevention, treatment and recovery support services, SAMHSA has identified eight Strategic Initiatives to focus the Agency's work on improving lives and capitalizing on emerging opportunities. This RFA is part of SAMHSA's effort to achieve the goals of the Trauma and Justice Strategic Initiative by developing a public health approach to trauma that strengthens surveillance, prevention, screening, and treatment and supports trauma-informed systems. More information on SAMHSA's Strategic Initiatives is available at the SAMHSA website: http://www.samhsa.gov/About/strategy.aspx. SAMHSA strongly encourages all grantees to provide a smoke-free workplace and to promote abstinence from all tobacco products (except in regard to accepted tribal traditions and practices). National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative grants are authorized under section 582 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2010 Mental Health and Mental Disorders Topic Area HP 2020-MHMD.