It is difficult to imagine, but even very young children can experience trauma that has a long-term impact on their mental and behavioral health. Research shows that when exposed to traumatic events such as witnessing violence or natural disasters, children as young as 18 months can develop serious psychological problems later in life. You might wonder how you can help get the word out about young children and trauma.  SAMHSA’s National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day 2011 provides an ideal opportunity to participate in local events to raise awareness …

Today SAMHSA announced a new approach for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant (SAPTBG) and the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHSBG) which is published in the Federal Register. Additionally a new webpage on the SAPTBG and the MHSBG been established and will allow you to view and download the new SAPTBG and MHSBG draft planning and reporting sections of the application.
SAMHSA’s proposed changes to the FY 2012/2013 Block Grants seeks to get State behavioral health systems ready for 2014 when more people will be insured through …

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. During this month, thousands of communities across the Nation will host events to raise public awareness about the consequences of alcohol misuse. Traditionally, these events have focused on underage drinking and the critical need for communities to mobilize around prevention. According to SAMHSA’s 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), about 10.4 million young people aged 12 to 20 reported drinking alcohol in the past month. More than half engage in high-risk binge and heavy drinking behaviors.
Alcohol-related observances in April, however, go beyond …