H79SM087200

Burlington County Institute of Technology (NJ) Trauma Informed Service Program - Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT) is a four-year countywide vocational-technical public high school serving 2,100 students in 9th through 12th grades. Located on two campuses, the student body is far more racially and ethnically diverse, as well as economically disadvantaged, than Burlington County (the geographic catchment area).

As reported by BCIT professionals, and confirmed by a 2020 Rutgers University County Needs Assessment, the COVID-19 pandemic with its resulting isolation, illness/deaths, and financial downturns, created and exacerbated traumas experienced by students and families. These traumas include, but are not limited to, bullying, disasters, early childhood trauma, community violence, sexual abuse/assault in and outside the home, domestic terrorism and violence, and traumatic grief. The study found behavioral and mental health services for youth to be a prioritized urgent need, especially given the lack of services and difficulties accessing existing services. Additional barriers impeding access by Black/African American and other historically underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities, as well as LGBTQIA students and their families, were also identified.

The project will enable students and their families to better identify and successfully navigate access to available trauma resources. Specifically, it will address transportation and financial barriers, as well as systemic and historic barriers negatively affecting participation by LGBTQIA and Black/African American and other historically underrepresented racial and ethnic students/families. These goals will be achieved by working with three local partners to achieve a number of objectives (measurable in both time and level of participation). These objectives include:

1. The creation, dissemination, and successful communication of a database of available trauma-based resources.
2. Developing working teams with each local partner to navigate access and entry into available programs.
3. Assisting specific students/families where transportation and financial access have been a barrier to accessing trauma-based resources by working with county and community resources.
4. Implementing cultural competency and implicit bias training for the entire staff to enhance identification practices in teachers and staff, and to construct pathways and linkages to build connections with providers prior to students encountering mental health crises.
5. Implementing culturally appropriate educational and therapeutic youth school events, while addressing systemic barriers that have limited access to trauma-based resources by Black/African American and other historically underrepresented racial and ethnic, as well as LGBTQIA, students and their families.

Over a four-year period, this project will disseminate information services to 2,100 students, provide direct services to 650 students, provide 40 with direct assistance seeking to overcome financial/economic barriers, and provide training for 600 BCIT teachers and staff, as well as events for 480 students.

Burlington County Institute Of Technology

SAMHSA WAS GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO ADDRESS PRIORITY SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE THROUGH ASSISTANCE (GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS) TO STATES, POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF STATES, INDIAN TRIBES AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER PUBLIC OR NONPROFIT PRIVATE ENTITIES. UNDER THESE SECTIONS, CSAT, CMHS AND CSAP SEEK TO EXPAND THE AVAILABILITY OF EFFECTIVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SERVICES AVAILABLE TO AMERICANS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THOSE AFFECTED BY ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDITIONS, AND TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE ON INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES AND SOCIETIES AND TO ADDRESS PRIORITY MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE AND ASSIST CHILDREN IN DEALING WITH VIOLENCE AND TRAUMATIC EVENTS THROUGH BY FUNDING GRANT AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROJECTS. GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS MAY BE FOR (1) KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION PROJECTS FOR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION AND THE CONDUCT OR SUPPORT OF EVALUATIONS OF SUCH PROJECTS, (2) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, (3) TARGETED CAPACITY RESPONSE PROGRAMS (4) SYSTEMS CHANGE GRANTS INCLUDING STATEWIDE FAMILY NETWORK GRANTS AND CLIENT-ORIENTED AND CONSUMER RUN SELF-HELP ACTIVITIES AND (5) PROGRAMS TO FOSTER HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN, (6) COORDINATION AND INTEGRATION OF PRIMARY CARE SERVICES INTO PUBLICLY-FUNDED COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SETTINGS

93.243 - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance

Division of Grants Management [HHS - SAMHSA]

Mount Holly, New Jersey 080603813 United States

Single Zip Code

Cooperative Agreements for School-Based Trauma-Informed Support Services and Mental Health Care for Children and Youth (SM-22-017)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 12/30/26 to 09/29/26 and the total obligations have increased 105% from $1,807,480 to $3,702,466.