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  5. Funding Opportunity: Children's Mental Health Champions

Funding Opportunity: Children's Mental Health Champions

Deadline: July 24, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. ET

July 8, 2020

About
Through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) will support an additional cohort of Children's Mental Health Champions. This funding opportunity is limited to AUCD network members in any state or territory.

These Champions will:

  • serve as state/territorial liaisons to the CDC's Children's Mental Health program and positive parenting resources;
  • act as community champion change agents to increase awareness activities and improvement of positive parenting practices;
  • develop and test strategies for building partnerships to promote identification, screening, referral, and intervention; and
  • implement effective strategies for mental health promotion, prevention supports, and creation of networks (e.g., school, healthcare, and community) and better connections between these systems.

Background
Early childhood is a critical period for long-term health and wellbeing. Positive and supportive parenting can protect children from adverse events and risks, and effective parenting programs can serve to support child development and to reduce problem behaviors. However, the current reach of evidence-based parenting prevention and intervention programs is limited, and many parents experience barriers to access due to limited workforce capacity.

Award
Up to six (6) champions will be selected to receive a $6,000 stipend for a twelve-month project period beginning August 1, 2020. Funding is renewable up to a 2-year period contingent upon satisfactory performance and availability of funds.

Application Procedure
If you are interested in being considered for this opportunity, please submit a written application, including all required attachments.

Please provide the following information:

  1. Brief Bio: Provide name, affiliation, position, and contact information for the project lead serving as the Champion. Highlight relevant training and recent professional experience and any qualifications. Include the CV (Word or pdf format) of the individual performing the project lead duties as a separate attachment.
  2. Capacity: Provide a written statement that demonstrates:
    1. technical proficiency of outreach and coalition building;
    2. evidence of effective partnerships to translate evidence into practice and implementation of evidence-based efforts;
    3. ability to engage new partners in children's mental health across the age span of childhood, from 0 to 18;
    4. evidence of emerging best-practices to expand current approaches to serve children of all ages; and
    5. collaboration with childhood partners to ensure sustainability and scalability. Specific childhood partners may include, but would not be limited to, those who address mental, behavioral, or developmental concerns.
  3. Support: A written letter of support from the UCEDD/LEND Director.

Please submit all application materials no later than Friday, July 24th, at 5:00 pm ET to Tanisha Clarke at [email protected].

You will receive a receipt notification of your application within 24 hours following submission. Applicants should expect to be notified of funding by July 31st.

Questions/More Information

If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Tanisha Clarke at [email protected].