Project Grant H79SM091121

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Austin-Travis County Mental Health And Mental Retardation Center, operating as Integral Care, $650,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED) program (CFDA 93.104).

Integral Care will implement a tiered early detection screening and stepped-care intervention model for youth and young adults ages 15–25 in Travis County, Texas to identify individuals at clinical risk for psychosis and connect them to evidence-based services that prevent or lessen psychotic disorder severity and reduce the duration of untreated psychosis. The project prioritizes young people transitioning from child to adult mental health services, individuals referred from secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, and those serviced by local youth-serving organizations. The intervention comprises two components: tiered early detection screening and assessment (including universal screening via the Prodromal Questionnaire) and stepped-care intervention matched to each individual's risk level.

The award period runs from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2030, with performance in Austin, Texas. Work is delivered collaboratively with UT Dell Medical School and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, which expand outreach, screening, and develop evidence-informed educational and training materials. The target population includes approximately 165,902 individuals in the 15–24 age range residing in Travis County, with an estimated 1,600 expected to experience a psychotic episode during their lifetime based on approximately 3 percent psychosis prevalence.