Technical Assistance Collaborative

Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) works with state and local jurisdictions on reforms in the delivery of behavioral health services for youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system. This grant provides matching funds for a public-private partnership between the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Foundation, and will support TAC in improving policies and practices to divert youth who have behavioral health needs from the juvenile justice system to community-based programs and services.

The Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc. provides information, capacity building, and technical expertise to organizations and policymakers in the areas of child and adult mental health, substance abuse, human services, and affordable housing. This grant supports a public-private partnership between the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Foundation to improve policies and practices to divert youth with behavioral health needs from the juvenile justice system to community-based programs and services. TAC will gather teams from selected state jurisdictions and, separately, tribal communities for a Policy Academy about effective interventions and the latest research for addressing the behavioral health needs of juvenile justice-involved youth.

The Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc provides consultation and technical assistance to states that have focused on reforms in the meeting the mental health needs of youth who become involved with the juvenile justice system. It will use the grant to consult with and provide technical assistance to Models for Change states to ensure that financing and policy changes to sustain reforms for improving access to effective mental health services are in place as the initiative’s direct support for model demonstrations ends.

Technical Assistance Collaborative provides information, capacity building, and technical expertise to organizations and policymakers in the areas of child and adult mental health, substance abuse, and human services. This grant funds a public-private partnership between the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Foundation to improve policies and practices to divert youth with behavioral health issues from the juvenile justice system to community-based programs and services. Teams from selected jurisdictions will attend a Policy Academy to learn about effective behavioral health interventions and participate in a cross-site Action Network to implement innovative strategies and practices developed and tested through Models for Change.

To produce and distribute the second edition of"Turning Knowledge into Practice" , a monograph on the implementation of evidence-based behavioral health services.