I-17 corridor behavioral health and community safety partnership - community bridges, INC. (CBI) proposes a project that will implement three major strategies to strengthen behavioral health…

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

Community Bridges will implement three major strategies to strengthen behavioral health services and improve community safety in Phoenix's I-17 Corridor: expansion of Behavioral Health Engagement Teams (BHET), creation of a community coalition, and conduct of a community needs assessment and strategic plan. The project serves three geographic areas within the I-17 Corridor that runs through Midtown Phoenix—Bell Road, Hatcher Road, and Midtown—targeting adults and youth experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness who need behavioral health services inclusive of mental health and substance use disorders, particularly those with criminal or violent tendencies, serious mental illness, and co-occurring disorders.

Measurable objectives include expanding the BHET service area and increasing outreach contacts by 25 percent during the grant period, providing behavioral health screening and needs referrals to at least 400 individuals annually, connecting 60 percent of individuals receiving outreach to appropriate behavioral health or substance use treatment within 30 days of first contact, and increasing successful referrals to behavioral health and substance use treatment providers by 20 percent. The entire community will receive prevention and training opportunities and benefit from the community needs assessment and resulting strategic plan.

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

I-17 corridor behavioral health and community safety partnership - community bridges, INC. (CBI) proposes a project that will implement three major strategies to strengthen behavioral health services and improve community safety in phoenix's i-17 corridor: 1) expansion of behavioral health engagement teams (bhet); 2) create a community coalition; and 3) conduct a community needs assessment and strategic plan. Project name: i-17 corridor behavioral health and community safety geographic area: 3 areas of the i-17 corridor that runs through midtown phoenix, arizona: bell road, hatcher road, and midtown. Focus population: adults and youth who live, work, or go to school in the catchment area. Population to receive services: the population that will receive bhet services will be adults or youth in the catchment area who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and who need behavioral health services (inclusive of mental health and substance use disorders), especially those with criminal or violent tendencies, serious mental illness, and/or CO-occurring disorders. The entire community will receive prevention and training opportunities and will benefit from community needs assessment and resultant strategic plan. Strategies and interventions to increase capacity: 1) expand bhet; 2) create a community coalition; and 3) conduct a community needs assessment and strategic plan. Project goals and measurable objectives: goal 1: improve public safety through increased access to and more coordination of behavioral health care. Objectives 1. Expand the bhet service area and increase outreach contacts by 25% during the grant period. 2. Provide behavioral health screening and needs referrals to at least 400 individuals annually. 3. Connect 60% of individuals receiving outreach to appropriate behavioral health or substance use treatment, within 30 days of first contact. 4. Increase successful referrals to behavioral health and substance use treatment providers by 20%. 5. Ensure that 75% of clients receiving care coordination services attend at least one behavioral health or substance use treatment appointment following referral. Goal 2: improve collaboration among community service providers with an emphasis on behavioral health care across the available services. Objectives 1. Establish the i-17 corridor behavioral health and community safety coalition within the first six months of the project. 2. Recruit and maintain participation from at least 15 cross-sector stakeholders. 3. Conduct quarterly coalition meetings with an average attendance rate of at least 80% of member organizations. 4. Develop and implement a formal resource coordination protocol and referral network. 5. Increase cross-agency referrals among coalition partners by 15% annually. Goal 3: improve behavioral health outcomes for individuals at risk of justice system involvement. Objectives 1. Enroll at least 300 individuals annually with behavioral health and/or CO-occurring disorders into case management or care coordination services. 2. Achieve a 60% reduction in reported behavioral health crises requiring emergency intervention. 3. Ensure that at least 65% of participants remain engaged in treatment or recovery-support services for 90 days or more. 4. Increase participants' self-reported access to needed behavioral health services by 30%. Goal 4: enhance public safety through a public health approach. Objectives 1. Reduce repeat contacts between bhet clients and law enforcement by 15% among project participants. 2. Increase resident awareness of available behavioral health resources by 25%. 3. Demonstrate improved perceptions of community safety among neighborhood residents, with a 10% increase in survey respondents reporting they feel safe in their community.