NYAPRS Note: SAMHSA has posted a request for applications to receive a 2016 Statewide Consumer Network (SCN) grants. The SCN program comprehensively improves mental health services for those with SMI. Applications are due January 20, 2016.
Please see the just-posted funding announcement by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for FY 2016 Statewide Consumer Network (SCN) grants on SAMHSA’s grant webpage at: http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-16-002.
Applications are due on January 20 and must be submitted electronically via grants.gov. If you are planning to submit an application, please be sure to review the eligibility criteria carefully first and try to submit the application early (recommended 1 week ahead of time) to provide time to correct possible errors in the upload process, should that occur. Please pass on to your interested stakeholders.
The purpose of the SCN program is to improve mental health services for people with serious mental illness. In doing so, the program seeks to enhance statewide mental health consumer-run and –controlled organizations to promote service system capacity and infrastructure that is consumer-driven, recovery-focused, trauma-informed, culturally relevant, holistic, and resiliency-oriented. Program goals are to:
(1) enhance consumer participation, voice, leadership, and empowerment statewide to effect systems change and improve the quality of mental health services;
(2) facilitate access to evidence-based and promising practices;
(3) enhance knowledge, skills, and abilities within mental health service and/or peer support providers related to recovery and trauma-informed approaches;
(4) emphasize and build consumer leadership within the organizations and in the community, as well as through partnerships and collaboration with allied stakeholders; and
(5) promote activities related to the following: partnership development with families, young adults and peers in addiction recovery; peer support values and standards; and trauma-informed peer support.
Toward that end, the program promotes activities such as training, leadership, and skills development; trauma-informed and gender responsive peer support and peer certification standards; consumer involvement in the development and delivery of evidence-based and promising practices; peer participation in crisis planning, early intervention and crisis response; diversity and cultural responsiveness; partnership development, and integrated care and wellness. It also seeks to address the needs of underserved and under-represented consumers, including those from ethnic, racial, or cultural minority groups; sexual orientation and gender minority individuals; those with histories of chronic homelessness or involvement with the criminal justice system; and those with co-occurring mental health, trauma-related, and/or substance use disorders.
The SCN program seeks to address behavioral health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities by encouraging the implementation of strategies to decrease the differences in access, service use, and outcomes among the racial and ethnic minority populations served. (See PART II: Appendix F – Addressing Behavioral Health Disparities.)