OpportunityTitle: Cooperative Agreements for State/Community Partnerships to Integrate Services and Supports for Youth and Young Adults 16-25 with Serious Mental Health Conditions And Their Families
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Eligible applicants are State governments and federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes and Tribal organizations. Governments of the following Territories are also eligible to apply: Palau, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa.  Tribal organization means the recognized body of any AI/AN Tribe; any legally established organization of American Indians/Alaska Natives which is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by such governing body or which is democratically elected by the adult members of the Indian community to be served by such organization and which includes the maximum participation of American Indians/Alaska Natives in all phases of its activities.  Consortia of Tribal organizations are eligible to apply, but each participating entity must indicate its approval.    Eligibility is limited to States/Tribes/Territories because local systems of care must be linked and integrated at the State/Tribal/Territory level in order to effect policy change and replication Statewide.
Description: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2009 for Cooperative Agreements for State/Community Partnerships to Integrate Services and Supports for Youth and Young Adults 16-25 with Serious Mental Health Conditions, and Their Families (Healthy Transitions Initiative). Young people with serious mental health conditions, particularly those involved with the public mental health system, often face a more difficult transition to adulthood and the successful assumption of adult roles and responsibilities compared to their peers with or without other disabilities. The Healthy Transitions Initiative will create developmentally-appropriate and effective youth-guided local systems of care to improve outcomes for youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions in areas such as education, employment, housing, mental health and co-occurring disorders, and decrease contacts with the juvenile and criminal justice system. These local systems will be linked and integrated at the State/tribal/territorial levels in order to effect policy change and replication Statewide. Failure to adequately address the system and service needs of these emerging adults has resulted in an increase in the prevalence of secondary school dropout, under- and unemployment, contacts with the juvenile or criminal justice system, early and unplanned pregnancy, and homelessness. In addition, the risk of poor outcomes in emerging adults with a serious emotional disturbance (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI) is exacerbated by higher rates of co-occurring substance use disorders among the transition age youth population than among any other age group with serious mental health challenges. The unique service needs of these young adults extend beyond those of children and younger adolescents, and they differ from those of adults. While these youth have ongoing needs for clinical services, they also have significant needs for support services that facilitate independent living and the ability to make wise choices as young adults. Youth who age out of child-serving systems may have difficulty obtaining services in adult systems. They often encounter a reduction or elimination of services when services available to children and adolescents are no longer accessible to them. Support services that assist youth with independent living address needs for housing, employment, education, basic living skills, and social support. Relationships established with trusted providers may be lost when providers specializing in services for children and youth can no longer be used. While these types of services may be available through various organizations in a community, they are generally not available in a coordinated manner. Systems of care that provide this type of coordination are an important and essential source of support for the service needs of these emerging adults. To ensure that systems of care are youth-guided and support youth transition to adulthood, partners from family, youth, and adult consumer organizations or stakeholders must be included in the development of coordinated, quality services and systems of care. The Healthy Transitions Initiative will award cooperative agreements to States, Tribes and tribal organizations. (For the purpose of this RFA, use of the word &#147;State(s)&#148; throughout this announcement includes the Territories listed in Section III-1, Eligible Applicants.) Applicants are expected to select a locality in which to implement a comprehensive service delivery program that includes a strategic plan for promoting the successful transition to adulthood for youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions. In addition, successful applicants will be expected to develop policies, financial mechanisms and other reforms to improve the integration, efficiency and sustainability of these newly integrated systems of care. The population of focus includes youth and young adults ages 16-25 with a serious emotional disturbance or a serious mental illness. (See Appendix G for definitions of &#147;serious emotional disturbance&#148; and &#147;serious mental illness.&#148;) The Healthy Transitions Initiative is one of SAMHSA&#146;s services grant programs. SAMHSA&#146;s services grants are designed to address gaps in mental health services and to increase the ability of States, Territories, and American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes and tribal organizations to help specific populations or geographic areas with existing and emerging serious mental health conditions. SAMHSA intends that its services grants result in the delivery of services and collection of baseline data by the 6th month of the project at the latest. The Healthy Transition Initiative cooperative agreements are authorized under Section 520A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb&#150;32). This announcement addresses Healthy People 2010 focus area 18 (Mental Health and Mental Disorders).
GrantorContactEmailDescription: gwendolyn.simpson@samhsa.hhs.gov
GrantorContactText: Gwendolyn Simpson &lt;br/&gt;Office of Program Services, Division of Grants Management      &lt;br/&gt;Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration &lt;br/&gt;1 Choke Cherry Road &lt;br/&gt;Room 7-1085 &lt;br/&gt;Rockville, Maryland 20857 &lt;br/&gt;(240) 276-1408