Description
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2009 Statewide Consumer Network grants. The purpose of this program is to enhance statewide consumer run organizations to promote service system capacity and infrastructure development to be consumer-centered and targeted toward recovery and resiliency, and consumer-driven by promoting the use of consumers as agents of transformation. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, this program seeks to address the needs of underserved and under-represented consumers; of consumers with histories of trauma, veterans, or those who have been involved in the criminal justice system; and/or to promote activities related to partnership development, coalition building, legacy planning, and economic empowerment as part of the recovery process for consumers. The Statewide Consumer Network Grants program builds on the work of the Federal Community Support Program (CSP). The Center for Mental Health Services has supported the development of accessible, responsive mental health treatment, rehabilitation, and supportive services for people with a serious mental illness through CSP. The mission of CSP is to promote the development of systems of care which helps adults with serious mental illness recover, live independently and productively in the community, and avoid inappropriate use of inpatient services. CSP helped to establish consumer and family organizations throughout the country. Today, nearly every State has an active consumer organization dedicated to promoting systems of care that are responsive to the needs of people with a serious mental illness. By providing appropriate training and tools in the development of individualized mental health plans, understanding the need and use of accountability and evaluation measures, and many other self-help, self-management skills, consumers can provide the guidance and foresight into changing the present system to a recovery-oriented system for all peers and, thereby, ensuring the implementation of the goals of the Final Report of the Presidents New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. The Statewide Consumer Network Grant is one of SAMHSAs infrastructure grant programs. SAMHSAs Infrastructure Grants support an array of activities to help the grantee build a solid foundation for delivering and sustaining effective mental health services. SAMHSA recognizes that each applicant will start from a unique point in developing infrastructure and will serve populations/communities with specific needs. Awardees may pursue diverse strategies and methods to achieve their infrastructure development and capacity expansion goals. Successful 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 infrastructure development strategies that meet those needs. The plan put forward in the grant application must show the linkages among needs, the proposed infrastructure development strategy, and increased system capacity that will enhance and sustain effective programs and services. 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. Statewide Consumer Network grants are authorized under Section 520A of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2010 focus area 18 (Mental Health and Mental Disorders).