Funding Opportunity: Children's Mental Health Champions
August 29, 2022
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About
Through a cooperative agreement, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will support a pilot program of Children's Mental Health Champions. This funding opportunity is limited to AUCD network members in any state or Territory.
The Champions will address the mental health needs of children and families by supporting one or more of the three pillars of this work:
- Connect and create family-school-healthcare-community partnerships
- Support early identification and intervention/evidence-based treatment
- Prevention of mental disorders and promotion of mental health
As such the Champions:
- serve as state 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.
The Champions will support AUCD's evaluation of the Children's Mental Health Champions program by documenting and reporting project activities and measurable process outputs and short-term outcomes via program reporting forms conducted at the two-time points (mid-year and end of the program year). Example process outputs and short-term outcomes are included in the logic model provided (Attachment 1). AUCD staff will be available to support Champions in different components of the program, including providing training and technical assistance as needed.
Background
Childhood is a critical period that shapes long-term health and well-being. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, data trends showed that child and adolescent mental health was a significant and growing concern in the US. In December 2021, the US Surgeon General and leading pediatric health organizations declared a children's mental health crisis. To support lifelong mental health and emotional well-being, it is important to prevent problems, identify concerns early, and provide effective treatment. Parents, communities, schools, and healthcare providers all play a role in addressing the mental health needs of children to reduce problem behaviors and support child development. Many families face barriers when trying to access evidence-based prevention and intervention programs and many professionals work on children's mental health, separately, with limited coordination.
Award
This is a limited call RFA. Using NIRS, you were identified as a network member currently doing work in the area of children's mental health. As a result, we are extending this limited invitation for you to respond to this funding opportunity. Respective UCEDD/LEND Directors are also included in this correspondence. Up to ten (10) champions will be selected to receive a $6,000 stipend for one year of service. 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:
- 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. Demonstrate capacity for serving as a Champion, such as:
- technical proficiency in outreach and coalition building;
- evidence of effective partnerships to translate evidence into practice and implementation of evidence-based efforts;
- ability to engage new partners in children's mental health
- evidence of emerging best practices to expand current approaches to serve children of all ages; and
- 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, schools or early childhood education systems, and other child-serving organizations.
- Workplan: Using the template provided (Attachment 2), provide a proposed work plan that describes the overarching project goal(s), intended project activities, process outputs, short-term outcomes, and timeline. The work plan can be updated as needed over the course of the project and in collaboration with AUCD/CDC technical assistance.
- CV or Resume: Include a CV or resume (Word or pdf format) for the project lead serving as the Champion as a separate attachment.
- Letter of Support: A written letter of support from the UCEDD/LEND Director.
Please submit all application materials no later than September 23, 2022, to Jordan Kerr 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 in late September 2022.
Questions/More Information
If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Jordan Kerr at [email protected].
