HHS Office of Minority Health Awards $2.8 Million to Help Children Exposed to Trauma

Thursday, July 8, 2016
Contact: OMHMedia@hhs.gov

HHS Office of Minority Health Awards $2.8 Million to Help Children Exposed to Trauma

The Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced new grant awards totaling approximately $2.8 million dollars to seven organizations to promote healthy behaviors in minority and/or disadvantaged children who have been exposed to trauma. The Communities Addressing Childhood Trauma (ACT) initiative will promote healthy behaviors for youth, ages 5 to 15 years at the start of the five-year program, who are at risk for poor health and poor life outcomes because of childhood trauma.

The seven organizations receiving the ACT grants are:

'For children, traumatic events, such as witnessing a death, serious injury, a single or repeated natural or human-made event can result in emotional harm and can lead to long-term physical and mental health consequences,' said Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, deputy assistant secretary for minority health and director of the Office of Minority Health. 'The Communities Addressing Childhood Trauma grants will help bring together community-based organizations to develop innovative and collaborative approaches to provide more support for children and their families who are at higher risk for exposure to trauma.'

The ACT initiative also promotes the goals of My Brother's Keeper, which was launched by President Obama in 2014 to ensure all young people can reach their full potential, including boys and young men of color.

ACT funding will strengthen community based efforts to provide services to youth and their families who live in communities that experience trauma and its effects, such as substance use disorders, depressive episodes, post-traumatic stress disorder, violence, legal detention, incarceration, school dropouts, bullying, chronic absenteeism, food insecurity, or unhealthy weight. The ACT grants are projected for five years, depending on the availability of appropriated funds. The initial grant awards are for one year.

Incorporating culturally and linguistically appropriate services, grantee projects will work to increase the systems that build resilience and provide support and education to youth living in communities that experience high incidents of trauma. The projects will also help establish a social determinants-based and trauma-informed model focused on social and emotional support and academic achievement programs that can be replicated.

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