Youth Mental and Behavioral Health: Near-Term Opportunities to Support North Carolina's Youth

Kiydra Harris, PharmD
kiydra.harris@bcbsncfoundation.org

This program provides funding to expand access to mental and behavioral health services and resources for youth in North Carolina through models that are effective in the short term (1-3 years). Projects should include trained workforce beyond specialty trained behavioral healthcare clinical and professional roles who are trained to identify and respond to trauma, mental health issues, and substance use and will connect youth to mental health resources.

Applicants should implement strategies that engage communities with significant barriers to care and may operate in a variety of settings, including communities, schools, health systems, and faith-based organizations. Focus areas include:

• Deliver culturally and linguistically responsive approaches to integrate mental and behavioral health supports, care, and resources for youth in various settings that are focused on prevention, screening, early intervention, and follow-up for youth
• Connect communities to new or existing mental and behavioral health resources, supports, and services
• Increase the number of trusted adults, trusted peers, teachers and other youth development professionals, health and other professionals who are trained in evidence-based approaches and promising practices that address mental and behavioral health, particularly those who share identities with, and the lived experience of, youth populations at highest risk
• Increase access to these trained individuals for youth and their caregivers

Eligible applicants are include:

• 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are classified as "not a private foundation" under Section 509(a)
• Government entities or public instrumentalities, including schools and tribal governments
• Groups or projects with a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization acting as a fiscal sponsor
• Coalitions where 1 organization meets any of the above criteria and serves as the recipient of the grant

Organizations of all sizes are eligible to apply.

Award ceiling: $500,000 per year
Award floor: $75,000 per year
Project period: Up to 3 years

Links to application instructions, and the online application portal are available on the program website.