The School of Social Work's Innovations Institute received a five-year grant from SAMHSA to spearhead the National Training & Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health
In the United States, nearly one in five youth experience a mental, developmental, or behavioral health challenge, yet fewer than 20 percent receive the services they need.
With support of a five-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the UConn School of Social Work's Innovations Institute will lead a national center aimed at strengthening mental health systems for children, youth, and families across the country.
The SAMHSA award designates Innovations Institute and its national partner, the Family-Run Executive Director Leadership Association (FREDLA), to lead the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC). The center serves as SAMHSA's primary hub for training and technical assistance to support states, territories, Tribes, and family- and youth-run organizations in expanding their capacity to deliver accessible, comprehensive, effective children's mental health services.
This marks the second time Innovations Institute has been selected to lead the center, having previously held the role from 2015 to 2020.
"We are honored to be selected by SAMHSA, together with FREDLA, to lead the NTTAC once again," said Michelle Zabel, executive director of Innovations Institute. "Having previously led this center, we understand the responsibility that comes with this work. We are excited to return to this role and build on what we've learned to help communities strengthen services for children, youth, young adults, and their families."
Through the new award, Innovations Institute and FREDLA, together with their partners and consultants, will support SAMHSA's Children's Mental Health Initiative and Statewide Family Network grantees, as well as public entities who plan, develop, and operate children's systems of care. The work emphasizes trauma-responsive, community-based approaches that center family and youth voices.
An evaluation of Innovations Institute's earlier leadership of the NTTAC found that its tailored training and technical assistance helped states, jurisdictions, territories, and Tribes build capacity to better meet the behavioral health needs of children and youth. The renewed effort will expand on that foundation through a broad national partnership.
For the current NTTAC, Innovations Institute and FREDLA will lead a multidisciplinary collaboration of 11 national organizations, including:
- The Baker Center for Children and Families
- Center for Health Care Strategies
- Education Development Center
- Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
- National Alliance on Mental Illness
- National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
- National Council for Mental Wellbeing
- Youth MOVE National
- Zero to Three
Together, this partnership, and a vast array of consultants, bring expertise spanning policy, clinical practice, and family and youth leadership ensuring the NTTAC can provide a comprehensive approach to transforming mental health systems across the country and improve outcomes for youth.
Innovations Institute is nationally recognized for helping public systems translate research and policy into practice. Its work focuses on building accessible and sustainable systems that are family-and youth-driven, evidence-based, and trauma-informed-an approach that aligns closely with the goals of the NTTAC.
