SAMHSA Grant: Enhancing State Adolescent Treatment Programs

Tribal organization means the recognized body of any AI/AN tribe; any legally established organization of American Indians/Alaska Natives which is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by such governing body or which is democratically elected by the adult members of the Indian community to be served by such organization and which includes the maximum participation of American Indians/Alaska Natives in all phases of its activities. Consortia of tribes or tribal organizations are eligible to apply, but each participating entity must indicate its approval.

Eligibility is limited to the SSA in the state/territory and the District of Columbia, and the highest ranking official and/or the duly authorized official of a federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native tribe. In addition to providing evidence-based treatment services to adolescents and transitional aged youth, this program is designed to bring together stakeholders across the systems serving these populations of focus to develop and/or enhance a coordinated network that will develop policies, expand workforce capacity, bring evidence-based practices to scale statewide, and implement financial mechanisms and other reforms to improve the integration and efficiency of the adolescent substance use, co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders treatment, and recovery support system. SSAs are in the unique position to coordinate these efforts because they have authority to coordinate agencies across the state/territory/tribe, implement policy changes, and develop financing structures necessary for the program. Although community-based treatment providers play a pivotal supporting role in adolescent and transitional aged youth treatment and services, they are not the catalysts for cross-agency coordination, workforce development, or licensure/certification/credentialing at the state/territorial/tribal level. Therefore, public and private non-profit entities and community-based treatment providers are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity. In addition, states/territories/tribes, which received awards under TI-12-006, Cooperative Agreements for State Adolescent Treatment Enhancement and Dissemination, are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity.

System outcomes will include: needed changes to state/territory/tribe policies and procedures; development of financing structures that work in the current environment; and an assessment and treatment blueprint for states/territories/tribes and providers that can be used throughout the state/territory/tribe to widen the use of effective EBPs. Additionally, youth (ages 12-18), transitional aged youth (ages 18-24), and their families/primary caregivers will be provided services from the grant funds, which will inform the process to improve systems issues. Based on the needs of the state/territory/tribe, applicants can choose to provide services to adolescents and their families/primary care givers only, transitional aged youth and their families/primary caregivers only, or both adolescents and transitional aged youth and their families/primary caregivers.

State Youth Treatment cooperative agreements involve both state/territory/tribe infrastructure development/improvement and direct service delivery components. All activities share a common goal of building a solid foundation for sustaining an effective, integrated adolescent and transitional aged youth treatment and recovery support services system. These grants are designed to bring together stakeholders across the systems serving adolescents and transitional aged youth to: develop and/or enhance a coordinated network that will develop policies, expand workforce capacity, disseminate evidence-based practices, and implement financial mechanisms and other reforms to improve the integration and efficiency of the adolescent and transitional aged youth substance use, co-occurring substance use and mental disorders treatment, and recovery support system. While developing/improving state/territorial/tribal infrastructure, grantees are also expected to select two local community-based treatment provider sites to enhance and expand the delivery of evidence-based practices for adolescents and/or transitional aged youth with substance use and/or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. The development of a coordinated system to improve adolescent and transitional aged youth substance use and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders treatment and recovery support services, and the implementation of family informed/family-centered evidence-based practices at the local level will serve as a model throughout the state/territory/tribe to be replicated in other jurisdictions.

The expected client-level outcomes of the program include: increased rates of abstinence; enrollment in education, vocational training, and/or employment; social connectedness; and decreased juvenile justice involvement for adolescents and transitional aged youth provided services through this grant. Grantees will be expected to identify and decrease differences in access, service use, and outcomes of services among the adolescent and transitional aged youth populations who are vulnerable to health disparities.

In alignment with SAMHSA’s Strategic Initiative on Health Reform, this program aims to assist states/territories/tribes in the development of a process to be used to expand and enhance treatment and recovery systems for adolescents, transitional aged youth, and their families/caregivers with substance use and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders.

The State Youth Treatment cooperative agreement is one of SAMHSA’s infrastructure and services programs. SAMHSA intends that its services grants result in the delivery of services as soon as possible after award. Service delivery should begin by the sixth month of the project at the latest.

The State Adolescent and Transitional Aged Youth Treatment Enhancement and Dissemination cooperative agreements are authorized under Section 509 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020 Substance Abuse Topic Area HP 2020-SA.