Family Navigator for Mental Health Services
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Family Navigator for Mental Health Services
About
The Mental Health Family Navigator Model grant funds projects that promote early access, engagement, and coordination of mental health treatment and services for children and adolescents as soon as symptoms arise. The grant encourages research applications to develop and test the effectiveness and implementation of family navigator models designed to promote early access, engagement and coordination of mental health treatment and services for children and adolescents who are experiencing early symptoms of mental health problems. If the research results show that mental health family navigators are e effective in addressing the mental-health needs of children and adolescents, advocates can use this research to justify SBHC’s as 1) A non-carceral investment in safety, as improved health is related to reduced crime and 2) Investments that local and state governments should be funding.
Eligible Uses
Mental health service navigation for youth. Requires research on project efficacy.
Grant Award
Up to $500,000
Eligible
Recipients
County governments, state governments, city or township governments, nonprofits with or without a 501(c)(3) status, Native American tribes, independent school districts, for profit organizations other than small businesses, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, special district governments, small businesses, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and private institutions of higher education
Restrictions
Unknown
Due Date
July 05, 2024
Agency
Department of Health and Human Services
Link
Materials Needed
Unknown
Application Difficulty
Unknown
To implement community safety-focused programs, jurisdictions must have an adequate supply of peers and professionals who can provide voluntary, non-coercive services that support physical and mental health—and allow appropriate staffing for non-carceral crisis response and similar programs. Expanding access to basic health care has been found to reduce crime, as well as save money on legal system expenses. Research demonstrates that when the number of treatment facilities for substance use disorder increases, crime decreases in the same area. Expanded access to mental health treatment, and psychiatric treatment in particular, has been found to reduce violent crime.
This effect is especially powerful when looking at youth. Increasing wraparound services in schools that treat physical and mental health in high risk areas have been shown to reduce juvenile arrests as well as child abuse cases. High quality afterschool programs that promote students’ health and development can reduce drug use and decrease arrests and other forms of criminal-legal involvement among children. Furthermore, early childhood intervention programs, as well as nutrition programs for newborns, are likely to reduce crime. Expanded access to mental health treatment, and to psychiatric treatment in particular, has also been found to reduce violent crime.
Community safety cannot succeed without a robust, well-trained workforce of mental health and treatment professionals—not only because these services can reduce violence and harm, but also because physical and mental health are vitally important for safety itself. For too long, this country has taken a punishment and enforcement approach to how we address mental health, substance use, and related issues; the following investments, paired with further public health-centered policy changes, are a first step toward changing this paradigm.
Investing in youth, education, and community spaces is essential for both boosting the economy and making communities safer and more stable. Increasing educational attainment decreases the likelihood of future incarceration. Improving school quality reduces the probability of serious crimes and incarceration. And increasing investments in counselors, social-emotional learning, and wraparound services—while reducing the use of school police—will help end the school-to-prison pipeline while helping every child succeed. There are numerous studies exemplifying the variety of investments in youth, education, and community spaces that make communities safer spaces for everyone.
Programs to support students’ social and emotional well-being have been found to reduce total arrests by as much as 35 percent, violent crime arrests by as much as 50 percent, and, for program youth in juvenile detention facilities, recidivism by 21 percent. A recent study looked at the effects of a change in Michigan law that increased spending on schools in low-income areas, focusing on students who experienced the increase in elementary school. The resulting decrease in adult crime rates was so large that the law ended up saving the state money overall. Robust research shows that correctional education programs are one of our most effective ways to reduce recidivism and increase employment opportunities upon reentry.
Socioeconomic segregation of schools has been found to increase violent crime, suggesting that promoting more diverse and integrated schools could reduce violence. Youth-focused sports and therapy programming can reduce the likelihood of future arrests for a violent crime by 50 percent. High-quality afterschool programs have broadly positive impacts for children. By providing a safe space that promotes students’ health and development, these programs can reduce drug use and decrease arrests and other forms of criminal-legal involvement among children.
Programs focused on wraparound education services in high risk areas have been shown to reduce juvenile arrests as well as child abuse cases. Research also shows that high school graduation rates are generally associated with positive public safety outcomes and lower crime rates for communities. Early childhood intervention programs, as well as nutrition programs for newborns, are likely to reduce crime.
In short, investing in the next generation is one of the most important ways that communities can promote safety, not just today, but for years to come.
Grants.Gov Resources
Applicant Training Videos (step-by-step guide on how to find grants, set up an account on grants.gov, and submit an application)
Applicant FAQ page
Other Resources
Community Toolbox’s Applying For Grants Toolkit (Outline of process + example applications)
Q: What is community safety?
A: We use the term “community safety” as well as “non-carceral safety” to indicate an approach to reducing violence and harm that invests in people over punishment. This can include unarmed civilian first responders and community violence prevention, but must also center preventative and root-caused focused solutions such as investments in schools, healthcare, and the environment. These solutions not only create holistic safety by improving well-being, they have been directly tied to reductions in violence.
Q: How do the grants in the American Rescue Plan and other recent bills fit into this database?
A: This database contains grants contained both in specific legislation (like the American Rescue Plan Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act, and the Inflation Reduction act) but it focuses primarily on grants funded annually through the federal budget process. Please see our resources specifically on ARPA and IIJA for more information on funding opportunities in those bills.
Q: Where should I go if I have additional questions?
A: Feel free to reach out to samwashington@civilrightscorps.org with questions or comments. If you’d like to suggest a grant, please fill out this form.