Funder Briefing: Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, What You Need to Know About Federal Funding Streams

On January 15, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the abrupt termination of $2 billion in mental health and addiction services funding, notifying grant recipients that funding would end immediately. National advocates quickly mobilized state and local partners, and the funding was restored within 24 hours. While this immediate crisis was averted, the infrastructure that supports mental health and addiction services—including infant and early childhood mental health—remains at risk. Losing this infrastructure would be catastrophic for states.

The proposed cuts would have eliminated millions of dollars supporting infant and early childhood mental health, including Project LAUNCH, the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Grant Program, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, and other programs serving pregnant people, families with young children, and early relational health (ERH) efforts.

Losing this infrastructure would be catastrophic for states, and the infrastructure is still at risk.

Funders/grantmakers, funder collaboratives and philanthropy infrastructure organizations are invited to join us to learn:

• Where infant and early childhood mental health funding appears in federal appropriations and how it fits within broader threats to family mental health;

• Who leads advocacy efforts to protect this funding; and

• How states and communities use federal resources—and mobilize locally—to sustain IECMH systems.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS

ZERO TO THREE

• Melissa Boteach, Chief Policy Officer
• Lindsay Usry, Director, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Strategy
• ZERO TO THREE’s IECMH Approach

National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCTSN)

• Karen Appleyard Carmody, Co-Director, NCTSN
• Learn more about NCTSN’s mission to raise the standard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children, their families and communities throughout the United States.

Irving Harris Foundation

• Phyllis Glink, Executive Director
• Irving Harris Foundation’s IECMH Approach
• Harris Professional Development Network, a network of 19 Irving Harris Foundation grantees led by iIECMH and child trauma experts coming from 12 states, DC, and Israel.

ARCHIVES:

This call was not recorded.  See speaker slide decks below.