SAN diego community resilience collaborative project - SURVIVORS of torture, international (SURVIVORS) proposes the SAN diego community resilience collaborative (SDCRC), a five-year countywide…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Survivors of Torture, International $750,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532).

Survivors of Torture, International will implement the San Diego Community Resilience Collaborative (SDCRC), a five-year countywide initiative to strengthen behavioral health and community safety by building cross-sector partnerships, expanding access to trauma-informed behavioral health services, and increasing community capacity to prevent and respond to behavioral health impacts of crime, violence, community disorder, and traumatic events. The project will serve communities throughout San Diego County with particular emphasis on East, Central, and South San Diego County, where crime, violence, poverty, and behavioral health disparities are most concentrated. The population of focus includes youth, adults, older adults, and families affected by crime, violence, community disorder, traumatic events, and forced displacement, with particular emphasis on refugees, asylum seekers, asylees, special immigrant visa holders, humanitarian parolees, victims of violent crime, and other historically underserved populations. Capacity-building efforts will address fragmented referral systems, limited cross-sector coordination, workforce shortages, behavioral health stigma, and barriers to accessing culturally and linguistically responsive care.

The period of performance runs through September 29, 2031, with place of performance in San Diego, California.

SAN diego community resilience collaborative project - SURVIVORS of torture, international (SURVIVORS) proposes the SAN diego community resilience collaborative (SDCRC), a five-year countywide initiative that will strengthen behavioral health and community safety by building cross-sector partnerships, expanding access to trauma-informed behavioral health services, and increasing community capacity to prevent and respond to the behavioral health impacts of crime, violence, community disorder, and traumatic events among SAN diego county's most vulnerable populations. For nearly three decades, SURVIVORS has served as SAN diego county's trusted leader in trauma-informed behavioral health care for individuals and families affected by torture, violent crime, forced displacement, and other significant trauma. As the region's only internationally accredited torture treatment center, a california-certified trauma recovery center, and a county-contracted short-doyle medi-CAL behavioral health clinic, SURVIVORS provides an integrated continuum of behavioral health treatment, care coordination, prevention, workforce development, and community engagement. The proposed project will serve communities throughout SAN diego county, california, with particular emphasis on east, central, and south SAN diego county, where crime, violence, poverty, and behavioral health disparities are most concentrated. Capacity-building efforts will address fragmented referral systems, limited cross-sector coordination, workforce shortages, behavioral health stigma, and barriers to accessing culturally and linguistically responsive care. The population of focus includes youth, adults, older adults, and families affected by crime, violence, community disorder, traumatic events, and forced displacement, with particular emphasis on refugees, asylum seekers, asylees, special immigrant visa holders, humanitarian parolees, victims of violent crime, and other historically underserved populations experiencing or at increased risk for behavioral health conditions, including depression, anxiety, ptsd, prolonged grief, substance misuse, and other trauma-related disorders. SURVIVORS will serve as the lead organization for a countywide community resilience coalition that brings together behavioral health providers, healthcare systems, schools, community-based organizations, faith communities, public agencies, law enforcement, universities, and individuals with lived experience. Capacity-building strategies include coalition development, a community needs and resources assessment, strategic planning, standardized referral pathways, workforce development, behavioral health literacy, prevention and early intervention programming, evidence-based behavioral health services, healthcare navigation, coordinated care, and continuous quality improvement. The project's goals are to strengthen community capacity to prevent and respond to the behavioral health impacts of crime, violence, and community disorder; expand access to coordinated, culturally responsive behavioral health services; improve cross-sector collaboration; and strengthen long-term community resilience. Key objectives include establishing a countywide coalition, completing a community needs and resources assessment and strategic plan, increasing behavioral health referrals and service engagement, expanding workforce training and technical assistance, strengthening coordinated referral systems, and improving behavioral health outcomes through ongoing evaluation and continuous quality improvement. By leveraging nearly 30 years of trusted partnerships, specialized expertise, and established community infrastructure, SURVIVORS will strengthen SAN diego county's behavioral health system while advancing samhsa's strategic priorities of prevention, treatment, recovery, and sustainable systems change.