Workforce expansion amplifying victim empowerment (weave) - the ohiohealth trauma recovery center (TRC) weave initiative (workforce expansion amplifying victim empowerment) will expand trauma-informed…

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Ohiohealth Research Institute $749,998 under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532) on September 30, 2026, to expand trauma-informed behavioral health services and victim advocacy across OhioHealth hospitals and outpatient sites in central Ohio and throughout the state.

The Workforce Expansion Amplifying Victim Empowerment (WEAVE) initiative will establish a behavioral health and community safety coalition including healthcare providers, behavioral health organizations, victim service agencies, law enforcement, education, social services, faith-based organizations, youth- and family-serving agencies, and individuals with lived experience. WEAVE will complete a community needs and resource assessment, develop formal referral agreements and care coordination pathways, implement trauma-informed interventions, build coordinated referral systems, and expand telehealth access to reach adolescents and adults impacted by violence and traumatic injury. Services target primarily adults age 18 and older with some youth aged 14–17, including victims of assault, gun violence, stabbing, domestic violence, sexual violence, hit-and-run incidents, and other violent crimes. The award extends from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2031, with place of performance in Columbus, Ohio.

Workforce expansion amplifying victim empowerment (weave) - the ohiohealth trauma recovery center (TRC) weave initiative (workforce expansion amplifying victim empowerment) will expand trauma-informed behavioral health services, victim advocacy, and community safety partnerships across ohiohealth hospitals and outpatient sites serving central ohio and communities throughout ohio. Through coalition building, workforce development, coordinated referral pathways, telehealth access, and trauma-informed interventions, weave will increase access to behavioral health supports for victims of violence and traumatic injury and create a scalable model for recovery and community safety. Geographic area and capacity development: the project will serve communities reached by ohiohealth system. Grant activities will address capacity gaps among healthcare providers, behavioral health organizations, victim service agencies, public safety partners, and community stakeholders that serve individuals impacted by violence and traumatic injury population of focus and services: the population of focus includes adolescent and adult victims of crime, violence, and traumatic injury who may benefit from strengthened behavioral health and victim-support capacity. Services will primarily reach adults age 18 and older, with a small number of youth aged 14 - 17. Participants may include victims of assault, gun violence, stabbing, domestic violence, sexual violence, HIT-and-run incidents, and other violent crimes. Strategies and interventions: weave will increase capacity by establishing a behavioral health and community safety coalition that includes healthcare, behavioral health, victim services, law enforcement, education, social services, faith-based organizations, youth- and family-serving agencies, and individuals with lived experience. The project will complete a community needs and resource assessment; develop formal referral agreements and care coordination pathways; implement trauma-informed screening, crisis intervention, victim advocacy, care coordination, and linkage-to-care services at expansion sites; establish telehealth and electronic health record referral processes; and deliver workforce training on trauma-informed care, victim-centered practices, behavioral health needs, and the relationship between trauma and substance use. Project goals: the goals of the project are to: (1) build a sustainable behavioral health and community safety coalition; (2) strengthen community-based post-trauma response and behavioral health capacity; (3) expand access to trauma-informed behavioral health services for victims of violence and crime across ohiohealth facilities; and (4) establish a data-driven continuous quality improvement and sustainability framework. These goals support samhsa priorities by strengthening behavioral health systems, expanding access to care, preventing substance misuse, supporting trauma-informed recovery, and improving coordination among behavioral health and community safety partners. Measurable objectives: key measurable objectives include recruiting and engaging at least 10 coalition members by december 2026; completing a community needs and resource assessment and executing at least seven formal partnership agreements by march 2027; developing workforce training and training at least 250 healthcare and community professionals by september 2031; establishing referral pathways across multiple ohiohealth hospitals and emergency departments resulting in at least 250 patients triaged, 150 screenings completed, and 50 referrals made during the first implementation year; implementing telehealth and electronic referral pathways across emergency and urgent care sites; and achieving at least a 300% increase in trauma recovery services over the year 1 baseline by the end of the project period.