With the rapidly changing healthcare landscape, many organizations are exploring behavioral health grants. They see these as opportunities to expand their business or fill a gap in their services. But with thousands of grants, how does an organization make a decision on which to choose? The best approach is to find a grant that fits within their mission, their services, and their plans. In other words, the closer to the organization’s “lane,” or its scope of expertise, the higher the likelihood it will be successful.
Behavioral health grants are funding opportunities provided by government agencies, foundations, and other entities for the purpose of selecting and implementing programs or services. For example, Elevate Youth California offers opportunities for substance use prevention for youth and young adults in California, and grants.gov provides a multitude of different grant proposals nationwide. Some grants, such as those offered through the Amity Foundation, are for smaller organizations and prefer those with lesser revenue. The Mental Health Services Act, through their Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiatives (CYBHI), offered funding for construction and new practices. Predominantly, these grants are for non-profit organizations, but they may also be open to for-profit companies or practices.
The organization interested in participating in behavioral health grants first needs to identify their current services and where there may be a gap. Suppose an agency provides mental health and residential services for youth, such as an STRTP or QRTP. They need more staff to provide intensive services. They would want to look for a grant for their type of program (STRTP/QRTP) that advances the clinical practices they offer. To branch into other services, such as outpatient or foster care, would be out of their “lane.” Funding agencies or grantors want to know how their specified grant will be spent, what experience the agency has, and how it would fit the proposed grantee. An STRTP would have a chance to offer a practice suited for their residential care but may have difficulty justifying a grant for them to expand into foster care or outpatient care. Another example would be a foster family agency that wants to provide a similar program, such as Family Preservation. They are expanding their services, but the two programs have identical services, such as case management and parent education. Their opportunity to apply would be optimal.
Behavioral health grants can be an added source of revenue while filling a gap in services. But any organization considering it should identify what they want to do and whether the grant opportunity is too much of a reach or within their scope or their lane.
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PRAXES is a nationwide behavioral health software, consulting, and training company. No one in the behavioral health industry has a better reputation, and if you give us the chance, we’ll show you why! At PRAXES, our services improve the efficiency and structure of behavioral health agencies serving children and families nationwide. PRAXES brings over 45 years of administrative and clinical expertise. With more than 100 client companies nationwide, we offer the expertise to advance the quality of behavioral health services. We accomplish these goals through our new clinical decision software, our training of best practices, and helping companies meet regulatory standards. At PRAXES, we believe in being creative and fostering new ways to serve children and their families. Our vision is to empower the families our agencies serve with skills that not only improve their functioning, but help them to thrive in their everyday lives. When you give us the chance, you’ll be connected directly to our friendly staff, so you can expect immediate attention to your inquiry. So, don’t wait, call now!
Dan Thorne has unique perspectives on the field of mental health. As a clinician, he has had over 40 years of experience working with clients in the Southern California area. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Irvine, he worked with children in the Orange County Juvenile Hall. Here he honed his earliest techniques on at-risk children. After that, he obtained his Master’s degree in Counseling from California State University, Fullerton.
In the 1990’s, Dan turned his attention to the clinical and administrative side of behavioral health organizations. For three years, he was the Assistant Administrator of Starting Point, a chemical dependency facility in Costa Mesa, CA. In 2001, he took an opportunity to be the Director of Harbor View Community Services Center in Long Beach. When he arrived, the Center had only 80 clients and 13 staff. When he left, there were over 400 clients and 75 staff. Dan created several programs through their contract with the Los Angeles County Departments of Mental Health and Child and Family Services. Under his guidance, Harbor View became one of the leading providers of children’s services in Los Angeles County.
While improving the results of the client’s parents at the Center, Dan reflected on his experiences as a parent. His children themselves had special needs such as mental and intellectual challenges, and Dan knew the toll it takes on the parent. In order to help the child, the parent has to be healthy. From this concept, he created his parenting program. After years of refining it, teaching it to his staff at the Center, and then taking the results and comments from these efforts, he became the developer of the current PRAXES program. It is a culmination of Dan’s personal trials and tribulations as a parent along with empirical results and research of over 40 parenting programs.
Our vision at PRAXES is to advance the strength of parents and caregivers of children with special needs (mental health, intellectual, or physical) through education, support, and empowerment. Thus, they can live healthy and functional lives while caring for the child.
Apogee is a clinical decision software designed to help behavioral health practitioners with their treatment and patient engagement. It provides evidence-based and research-based components. Not only do they consist of elements from such practices as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Seeking Safety, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Functional Behavior Analysis, but also the Intensive Models for Parents, Youth, and Children.
PRAXES has over 30 years of accreditation experience. We know what it takes to get your organization accredited. Whether it’s Joint Commission, CARF, or COA, our team can provide an evaluation of your current status and review the standards which need improvements. We will assist you with the policies, documentation, and training required to be accredited.
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