Training and Technical Assistance Center for Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2009 for the Training and Technical Assistance Center for Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration (TTA-PBHCI) grant. The purpose of this program is to support the grantees for Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration (PBHCI) program. The TTA Center will provide an array of technical assistance services that will improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of PBHCI grantee sites. The purpose of PBHCI is to improve the physical health status of people with serious mental illnesses by supporting communities to coordinate and integrate primary care services into publicly funded community mental health and other community-based behavioral health settings. The population of focus for the PBHCI grant program is individuals with serious mental illness served in the public mental health system. The overarching goal of the PBHCI grant program is to address the disproportionate rates of early mortality among people with serious mental illnesses by making available routine primary care in community mental health and other community-based behavioral health settings. SAMHSA expects that people with serious mental disorders will show improvement in their physical health status as a result of this program. PBHCI supports SAMHSA’s Pledge for Wellness 10 by 10 Campaign to promote wellness for people with mental illnesses and reduce early mortality by 10 years over the next 10 year time period. The TTA-PBHCI overall goal is to assist the PBCHI grantees in achieving their programmatic goals and outcomes. The TTA-PBHCI grant will provide an array of training and technical assistance services to help PBHCI grantees build a solid foundation for delivering and sustaining effective integrated primary care screening, assessment, treatment, and referral services. SAMHSA recognizes that each PBHCI grantee will start from a unique point with regards to training and technical assistance needs. PBHCI awardees may pursue diverse strategies and methods to achieve their integration development and capacity expansion goals. Successful PBHCI applicants will provide a coherent and detailed conceptual “roadmap” of the process by which they have assessed or intend to assess service system needs and plan/implement integration strategies that meet those needs. The plan put forward in the PBHCI grant application must show the linkages among needs, the proposed integrated care development strategy, and increased system capacity that will enhance and sustain effective programs and services. The purpose of the TTA-PBHCI is to assist the PBHCI grantees to effectively build and implement their programs by providing needed training and technical assistance. As of April 2008, approximately 1.64 million men and women have been deployed to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in support of the Global War on Terror. Individuals returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are at increased risk for suffering post-traumatic stress and other related disorders. Experts estimate that up to one-third of returning veterans will need mental health and/or substance abuse treatment and related services. In addition, the family members of returning veterans have an increased need for related support services. To address these concerns, SAMHSA strongly encourages all applicants to consider the unique needs of returning veterans and their families in developing their proposed project. The TTA-PBHCI grant is authorized under Section 520A of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2010 focus areas 18 (Mental Health and Mental Disorders) and 26 (Substance Abuse).