Project Grant H79SM091349

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services) awarded $600,000 to Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut, Inc. on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532) to develop and implement Project BRIDGE.

Project BRIDGE will improve child-serving staff capacity for early identification of children experiencing traumatic stress and develop a brief, evidence-informed trauma intervention for youth ages 6–17 across multiple service settings where traditional, long-term evidence-based treatments are unavailable or impractical. The project addresses gaps in trauma screening and care across behavioral health, health care, education, child welfare, and juvenile justice systems. BRIDGE will accomplish three main goals: train child-serving professionals in trauma screening best practices through updates to online courses, expanded resources addressing underserved populations (with initial focus on children with intellectual and developmental disabilities), and in-person and virtual trainings to reach at least 1,500 child-serving staff; develop and disseminate a brief intervention model to provide timely support and facilitate connection to longer-term trauma-focused treatments; and address workforce limitations and treatment barriers that contribute to care gaps.

The award period runs from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2031, with place of performance in Farmington, Connecticut.