The helen ross mcnabb center proposes to implement the FY 2024 improving adult and youth crisis stabilization and community reentry program

The Helen Ross McNabb Center, a nonprofit organization in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been awarded a $825,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative (CFDA 16.812). The grant will support the implementation of the FY 2024 Improving Adult and Youth Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Program over a 3-year period from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027. The program aims to improve cross-system collaboration between criminal and juvenile justice agencies, mental health and substance use agencies, and community-based organizations to provide evidence-based screening, assessment, clinical treatment, recovery services, continuous care coordination, and crisis response services for youth with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders in the East Tennessee area. The project expects to serve 250 youth annually or 750 youth over the grant period.

The purpose is to support cross-system collaboration between criminal and juvenile justice agencies, mental health and substance use agencies, and community-based organizations that provide RE-entry services, and community-based behavioral health providers to improve clinical stabilization pretrial, during confinement, and support continuity of care and recovery during the transition to the community in the east tennessee area. Project activities include evidence-based screening and assessment, clinical treatment and recovery services, continuous care coordination, collaborative case planning, planning and wrap-around services and crisis response services for youth with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and CO-occurring disorders. Expected outcomes include the development of a multi-disciplinary team to address the reentry needs of youth during pretrial, confinement and support during transition to the community; provision of evidenced-based services; and reduction of recidivism in east tennessee counties. Youth involved in the juvenile justice system are the intended beneficiaries of the project and helen ross mcnabb center expects to serve 250 youth yearly or 750 for the grant period of 3 years. Memorandums of understanding have been signed and completed with the juvenile court systems located in anderson, claiborne, hamblen, knox, monroe, roane, scott, and union counties. These court systems will provide referrals to helen ross mcnabb center which will operate as the community-based nonprofit organization and will deliver all services to the youth.