Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children's Health Grant Program

For program and eligibility questions:
Brooke Sims
240.276.1861
launch23@samhsa.hhs.gov

For fiscal and budget questions:
240.276.1400
FOACMHS@samhsa.hhs.gov

For grant review process and application status questions contact:
Samantha Dock Herbster
240.276.0405
Samantha.DockHerbster@samhsa.hhs.gov

Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children's Health Grant Program (Short Title: Project LAUNCH) provides grants to promote the wellness of young children from birth to 8 years by addressing the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of their development to ensure children are thriving in safe, supportive environments, and entering school ready to learn and able to succeed.

Applicants should infuse culturally-driven and trauma-informed mental health and wellness promotion practices and mental illness prevention practices into the settings and service systems through which young children and families can be reached. Projects should also work to advance equity for all, and to identify racial, ethnic, sexual and gender minority, and rural populations at highest risk for experiencing behavioral health disparities as part of their projects.

Required activities include:

• Conduct culturally and linguistically appropriate, validated screening, and assessments to ensure the early identification of behavioral and developmental concerns, including perinatal/maternal depression and substance misuse among parents and caregivers, including alcohol and opioid use
• Provide family and parent training to help parents, guardians, and family caregivers provide healthy, safe, and secure environments in which young children can learn and grow
• Develop and implement a plan to equip and train providers with the knowledge, skills, and resources to address young children's and caregivers' behavioral health within primary care settings, including on-site or virtual/telephonic consultation, screening, assessment, brief intervention, and/or referral to specialty care
• Provide mental health consultation in early care and education to ensure that child care and educational settings provide optimal learning environments for young children, and social, emotional, and behavioral concerns are identified and addressed through screening, assessment, intervention, and/or referral particularly for racial and ethnic minority families
• Establish or enhance an existing Young Child Wellness Council (YCWC) to provide support to the project. Representation on the YCWC must include, but is not limited to, the following system partners: health, public health, behavioral health, education, childcare, Head Start, child welfare, and early intervention. Family and caregiver family members must make up at least 10% of the council
• Develop and implement a plan to improve coordination and collaboration across child and family-serving systems and programs
• Develop and implement a public awareness communications plan to promote early childhood development, mental health, and outreach through multiple modalities

Eligible applicants include:

• State and territorial governments
• Political subdivisions of states
• Tribes
• Tribal organizations
• Health facilities
• Programs operated by or in accordance with a contract or award with the Indian Health Service
• Other public or private nonprofit entities

Award ceiling: $800,000 per year
Expected number of awards: 13
Estimated total program funding: $10,631,178
Project period: Up to 5 years

At least 2 awards will be made to tribes/tribal organizations pending sufficient application volume from these groups.

Links to the full announcement, application instructions, and the online application process are available through grants.gov.