SAFER2 - annie malone children & family services (amcfs) proposes the services for adolescent and family empowered recovery, phase II (SAFER2) project to expand integrated, family-centered prevention,…

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center $545,000 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.490).

The SAFER2 project will deliver integrated, family-centered prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for children, adolescents, young adults, and their primary caregivers affected by substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders across St. Louis and St. Louis County. Over the five-year performance period through September 29, 2031, the recipient will provide evidence-based outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment to 345 unduplicated individuals ages 11–25 and deliver school-based prevention programming to at least 900 students. Clinical interventions include Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing/Motivational Enhancement Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Multidimensional Family Therapy, Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment, and the Positive Parenting Program. Services encompass case management, peer recovery support, family engagement and parenting education, aftercare, and coordinated treatment for pregnant or parenting women and caregivers. The target population includes individuals with substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, trauma exposure, adverse childhood experiences, and related behavioral health needs. Place of performance is St. Louis, Missouri 63113.

SAFER2 - annie malone children & family services (amcfs) proposes the services for adolescent and family empowered recovery, phase II (SAFER2) project to expand integrated, family-centered prevention, treatment, recovery support, and behavioral health services for children, adolescents, young adults, and their primary caregivers affected by SUD/COD in the city of ST. Louis and ST. Louis county, with referrals accepted from broader ST. Louis metropolitan area. The project will serve the ST. Louis metropolitan area, with a population of approximately 2.8 million residents. Over the five-year project period, SAFER2 will provide evidence-based treatment services to 345 unduplicated children, adolescents, and young adults and deliver school-based prevention programming to at least 900 students. Treatment participants will include children ages 11 and under requiring screening, brief intervention, and referral; adolescents ages 12-17 receiving direct treatment; young adults ages 18-25 receiving screening, brief intervention, referral, and family services; and parents, caregivers, and pregnant or parenting women participating in family engagement, parenting education, and coordinated treatment. The population of focus includes individuals with SUD, COD, trauma exposure, adverse childhood experiences, and related behavioral health needs requiring integrated outpatient treatment, recovery support, and coordinated family services. SAFER2 will expand access to evidence-based outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment, case management, peer recovery support, family engagement, aftercare, and school-based prevention. Clinical services will utilize dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing/motivational enhancement therapy (MI/met), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), multidimensional family therapy (mdft), screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (sbirt), and the positive parenting program (triple p). School-based prevention will include second step, lifeskills training, project towards no tobacco use (project TNT), and not on tobacco (n-o-t). Psychiatric evaluation and medication-assisted treatment for alcohol and opioid use disorders (maud/moud) will be provided through partnership with places for people. The goals of SAFER2 are to improve behavioral health outcomes, strengthen family functioning, and expand evidence-based prevention services for youth. Measurable objectives include serving 345 treatment participants and 900 prevention participants over the project period; screening at least 90% of enrolled participants for SUD/COD; achieving improved functioning in at least 55% of participants as measured by the daily living activities-20 (DLA-20); achieving 80% completion of required gpra follow-up interviews; demonstrating reduced substance use or continued abstinence among at least 65% of participants with SUD; screening at least 70% of participating caregivers for SUD/COD; demonstrating improved family functioning among at least 65% of caregivers participating in triple p; and demonstrating increased substance use prevention knowledge among at least 80% of prevention participants. Through integrated prevention, early intervention, treatment, recovery support, and coordinated community partnerships, SAFER2 will strengthen the regional behavioral health continuum and improve long-term recovery and family stability.