Community access & resources education (care) coalition - behavioral health solutions of south texas (bhsst), in collaboration with the national institute for behavioral health, proposes the community…

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded $750,000 to Behavioral Health Solutions of South Texas on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532).

Behavioral Health Solutions of South Texas will implement the Community Access & Resources Education (CARE) Coalition Project in collaboration with the National Institute for Behavioral Health to address unmet behavioral health needs in the Rio Grande Valley. The project will serve youth, young adults, adults, families, and community members in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy counties who have experienced crime, violence, disorder, trauma, substance misuse, and mental illness. The service area encompasses a population exceeding 1.3 million residents, with particular focus on rural disparities in Willacy County and elevated opioid-related risks alongside ongoing alcohol use, vaping, and prescription misuse challenges.

The CARE Coalition will implement a data-driven approach guided by the Strategic Prevention Framework through coalition development, systems coordination, prevention and early intervention activities, workforce development, and community capacity-building. Primary project goals include establishing and sustaining a behavioral health and community safety coalition and increasing community capacity to identify and address behavioral health needs associated with crime and violence.

Performance occurs in Pharr, Texas. The five-year award runs through September 29, 2031.

Community access & resources education (care) coalition - behavioral health solutions of south texas (bhsst), in collaboration with the national institute for behavioral health, proposes the community access & resources education (care) coalition project to address the substantial unmet behavioral health needs identified in the RIO grande valley (RGV), including high rates of trauma exposure, significant mental health and substance use needs, limited service coordination, workforce shortages, and insufficient community infrastructure to address the behavioral health impacts of crime, violence, and disorder. : the care coalition will serve youth, young adults, adults, families, and community members living within the cameron, hidalgo, and willacy counties in the RGV who have been impacted by crime, violence, disorder, trauma, substance misuse, mental illness, and related behavioral health conditions. The service area includes a population exceeding 1.3 million residents, with a high proportion of youth and significant rural disparities, particularly in willacy county. Substance use remains a critical public health concern in the region, with early initiation, increasing opioid-related risks, and ongoing challenges related to alcohol use, vaping, and prescription misuse. These risks are compounded by elevated poverty rates, limited access to healthcare, and gaps in prevention infrastructure. The care coalition project will implement a comprehensive, data-driven approach guided by the strategic prevention framework (SPF). The project will accomplish this through coalition development, systems coordination, prevention, early intervention, workforce development, and community capacity-building activities. The project will pursue six primary goals to guide implementation and outcomes: 1) establish and sustain a behavioral health and community safety coalition; 2) increase community capacity to identify and address behavioral health needs associated with crime, violence, and disorder. 3) expand access to prevention, early intervention, behavioral health treatment, and recovery supports; 4) strengthen community-based trauma response and workforce development; 5) strengthen youth and family engagement, resilience, and protective factors; and 6) create sustainable systems change that improves behavioral health outcomes and community safety. The project will prioritize capacity building, community engagement, and implementation of evidence-based strategies tailored to local needs. The project will work to strengthen referral pathways and improve access to behavioral health and support services across the region. Over the five-year project period, the care coalition will reach at least 2,000 individuals annually through community outreach, prevention programming, screening, behavioral health education, and referral activities; screen at least 500 individuals annually for trauma-related concerns, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders, with at least 75 percent successfully linked to services; provide recovery-support, family-support, case-management, peer-support, and care-coordination services to a minimum of 300 individuals and families/year; and train at least 250 professionals annually in trauma-informed care, behavioral health literacy, prevention strategies, referral procedures, and coordinated response practices.