Newswise — The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is awarding over $19 million in Project LAUNCH (Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health) grants to tribal and community-based programs over the next five years. Project LAUNCH promotes the wellness of children from birth to eight years of age by addressing the physical, emotional, social, cognitive and behavioral aspects of their development. SAMHSA’s Project LAUNCH grantees will use a range of evidence-based public health strategies to ensure that all young children enter school ready to learn and able to succeed. Awarded tribes and communities will work to improve coordination across the child-serving system and to implement programs and practices that promote wellness among young children and prevent mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. Project LAUNCH grantees utilize strategies that include: mental health consultation for childcare and early education providers, integration of behavioral health and primary care, developmental assessments in a range of settings, family strengthening programs, parenting skills training, home visitation and public education campaigns to increase knowledge of healthy child development. Workforce development activities improve knowledge and practice among providers and increase each community’s capacity to effectively serve young children. In order to model the cooperation it requires from grantees, SAMHSA works in close partnership with other agencies in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to guide the initiative and integrate Project LAUNCH with other federal programs. This partnership includes HHS’s Administration for Children and Families, Health Resources and Services Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The programs selected for Project LAUNCH grants may receive up to their allocated annual amount, over the course of up to five years. The actual award amounts may vary depending on the availability of funds & the awardees’ progress achieved. The six grant awardees for 2010 and their first year awards are:
| Grantees | City | State | First Year Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aliviane, Inc. | El Paso | TX | 650,000 |
| Fund for Public Health in New York | New York | NY | 650,000 |
| Multnomah Education Service District | Portland | OR | 650,000 |
| The Curators of the University of MO | Columbia | MO | 650,000 |
| Wheeler Clinic, Inc. | Plainville | CT | 650,000 |
| North Colorado Health Alliance | Greeley | CO | $643,309 |
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