SAMHSA Grant Seeks to Promote Physical and Mental Wellness among Young Children

A new funding opportunity focuses on promoting physical and mental wellness in young children from birth to eight. Project LAUNCH (Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health Project) supports grantees that implement evidence based public health strategies that address the physical, emotional, social, and behavioral aspects of child development. Grounded in a public-health approach, LAUNCH places a great deal of emphasis on coordinating child-serving systems to improve methods of service-delivery within communities. The Tapestry Project in Arizona’s Project LAUNCH program, for example, has implemented five evidence based programs locally with the unique approach of coordinating local services through the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, which is already providing family support for grandparents raising grandchildren.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s(SAMHSA), Project LAUNCH will work in funded communities to:

• Increase the number of jurisdictions implementing a community planning process;
• Enable coordination across service systems and community organizations;
• Increase the number of communities utilizing evidence-based practices;
•  Increase the number of children receiving evidence-based services; 
• Increase the number of children screened for behavioral health issues; and
• Increase the number of number of individuals referred for behavioral health services.

SAMHSA is currently accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2010. With $3.9 million in available funding, programs selected for LAUNCH grants will receive up to $650,000 each year, over the course of the next five years. Eligible applicants include communities, domestic public and private nonprofit entities, and local governments.

The application deadline for Project LAUNCH funding opportunity is May 17, 2010.

For more information.