The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded a $5M annual grant over five years to Kids Hope Alliance working alongside the implementing agency — the Partnership for Child Health. Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST), the new system of care, will serve more than 15,000 in
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jill Storey 904.631.5063 jill@rls-group.com
July 26, 2021 Travis Williams 904.255.4403 wtravis@coj.net
JACKSONVILLE RECEIVES MULTI-YEAR FEDERAL GRANT TO EXPAND CRITICAL SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ONE OF ONLY EIGHT CITIES TO RECEIVE THE AWARD
JACKSONVILLE, FL The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded a $5M annual grant over five years to Kids Hope Alliance working alongside the implementing agency — the Partnership for Child Health. Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST), the new system of care, will serve more than 15,000 individuals in Jacksonville's urban core where the highest poverty and death rates have occurred.
The local grant titled Building a Resilient Jacksonville System of Care will utilize a rights-based framework to create an ecosystem of care to solidify, sustain and build upon community-based participatory efforts; meet the needs of high-risk youth and their families; and promote wellbeing, resiliency, and community healing. By building on the City of Jacksonville's existing SAMHSA System of Care (SOC), we will integrate, restructure and expand the foundational SOC components. The grant will focus on training first responders, community stakeholders, providers, educators, and clergy in trauma-informed care to serve high-risk youth and families in Jacksonville's urban core, violence-prone communities that are experiencing civil unrest.
“Once again, the city of Jacksonville through Kids Hope Alliance and the Partnership for Child Health is blending and braiding the foundational community-based work by further developing the system of care to support the health and well being of children and families residing in area communities experiencing stress and trauma," said Vicki Waytowich, Executive Director, Partnership for Child Health. "This new award deepens the service integration by focusing on more equitable access to physical and behavioral health resources, strengthening the coordination of existing resources and building the capacity of the residents to provide training and leadership to ensure we have a fully engaged and mobilized community."
"I am honored that Jacksonville was selected as one of eight cities throughout the nation for this important multi-year grant focused on creating a stronger network and system of support for children in our community," said Mayor Lenny Curry. "Through the Kids Hope Alliance and the Partnership for Child Health, this funding will provide training to first responders, educators, and others in trauma-informed care, and strengthen community-based efforts serving individuals in our urban core. I am grateful to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and our partners for their leadership in this effort."
###
The Partnership for Child Health is a decades-old non-profit organization committed to the development of integrated systems of care that advance the health and well-being of children. The Partnership works through collaborative alliances to transform the medical, mental, behavioral and developmental health systems for children, youth and families—connecting them with the resources and services they need to reach their full potential. For more information visit www.partnershipforchildhealth.org.
With the vision that every child and youth will reach their academic, career, and civic potential; Kids Hope Alliance: The Jacksonville Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families (KHA), a fiscal agency of the City of Jacksonville, is responsible for overseeing the implementation and management of children and youth programs, services and activities, accomplished through third-party service providers. Through these partnerships with local providers, KHA’s mission is to build and ensure access to a continuum of comprehensive and integrated programs, services, and activities that address the critical needs of children, youth, and families in Jacksonville. For more information, please visit www.kidshopealliance.org.