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Behavioral Health

Since our founding, behavioral health has been a primary focus of PRA’s work. Our efforts have concentrated on educating communities on meeting the needs of individuals with behavioral health disorders. We believe that behavioral health systems should be designed to be accessible, person-centered, recovery-oriented, and affordable. Through our technical assistance and facilitation services, we help jurisdictions develop partnerships between behavioral health, justice, education, child welfare, and health to build a seamless system of care.

PROJECTS

Homeless & Housing Resource Center

This national center provides high-quality, no-cost training for health and housing professionals in evidence-based practices that contributes to housing stability, recovery, and an end to homelessness.

Youth Engagement Strategies to Prepare Youth for Successful Adulthood

2017 - 2020

This project was designed to develop a suite of stakeholder-informed resources to integrate youth engagement strategies in federal agencies and federally funded programs.

BJA VALOR Initiative – Law Enforcement and Community: Crisis Intervention Training Model Program

2017 - 2020

This training and technical assistance program delivered the crisis intervention training (CIT) model, developed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to law enforcement agencies, along with a suite of resources and technical assistance. The program goal is to improve law enforcement’s reaction to and interaction with people with mental illness, thereby increasing officer and community safety.

SAMHSA SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) TA Center

This national project is designed to increase access to the disability income benefit programs (SSI/SSDI) administered by the Social Security Administration for eligible adults and children who are experiencing or at-risk of homelessness and have a mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder.

SAMHSA’s GAINS Center

This national project is designed to expand access to community-based services for adults diagnosed with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders at all points of contact with the justice system.

SAMHSA’s SMVF TA Center

This national project is designed to help state and territory teams develop and implement strategic plans to strengthen behavioral health systems for service members, veterans, and their families.

National Center for Youth Opportunity and Justice

2001 - 2022

This project aimed to improve life opportunities for youth by advancing policy and practice improvements that ensure the well-being of youth, families, and communities.

SAMHSA’s Program to Achieve Wellness

2015 - 2018

This national program was designed to operationalize SAMHSA’s existing wellness initiative. The Program to Achieve Wellness (PAW) promoted recovery and holistic well-being for people across the country through the development of online wellness and technical assistance products and resources, provision of technical assistance, and recognition of innovative and successful wellness programs.

SAFETY AND JUSTICE CHALLENGE—SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge—Serious Mental Illness Technical Assistance contract provides intensive technical assistance to the selected Safety and Justice Challenge jurisdictions that have targeted initiatives for people with serious mental illness.

Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Collaborative for Change

2013 - 2016

PRA’s sister firm, Policy Research, Inc., operated the Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Collaborative for Change (CfC) from 2013 to 2016. The CfC was a national technical assistance and training center that promoted the replication of models and innovations to improve the services for youth with mental health needs involved with the juvenile justice system.

Statewide Family and Consumer Networks Technical Assistance Center

2009 - 2014

Policy Research, Inc. operated SAMHSA’s Statewide Family and Consumer Networks (FCN) TA Center from 2009-2014. The FCN TA Center provided TA to grantees of the Statewide Family and Consumer Networks grant programs (SFN/SCN). Grantees of each program received three-year grants from SAMHSA to develop the infrastructure and business models needed to serve as their state’s resource and advocacy organization for families and youth (SFN) and for adults (SCN) with mental illness.

Women, Co-occurring Disorders, and Violence Study

1998 - 2005

PRA served as the coordinating center for SAMHSA’s groundbreaking Women, Co-occurring Disorders, and Violence Study (WCDVS) from 1998-2005. The WCDVS sought to develop, implement, and then evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive, integrated, trauma-informed treatment models on outcomes for women with co-occurring disorders and trauma histories. PRA led the intervention development in Phase I of the study and the evaluation in Phase II. The Phase II evaluation followed over 2700 women, across nine study sites to examine outcomes across a variety of domains, as well as programmatic and cost outcomes.

National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness

1988 - 2004

PRA operated NRCHMI for SAMHSA from 1988 to 2004. Under PRA’s leadership, the Center became the national locus of information for evidence-based housing and service approaches for adults with behavioral health disorders who were homeless or at-risk of homelessness. PRA staff and consultants provided technical assistance to SAMHSA grantees, including the ACCESS Demonstration Program, the Collaborative Program to Prevent Homelessness, SAMHSA’s Supported Housing Study, and the Homeless Families Program.

Supportive Housing Initiative and Homeless Families Program

2009 - 2010

PRA was part of a Coordinating Center team for SAMHSA’s Supportive Housing Initiative and Homeless Families Program, two SAMHSA-funded, multi-site evaluations of recovery services for individuals and families with behavioral health issues experiencing homelessness. PRA staff facilitated the multi-site Steering Committees, developed and piloted the common data collection protocols, and managed the logistics of the Steering Committees and Consumer Advisory Panels by facilitating teleconference calls and onsite meetings.

FEATURED RESOURCES

Policy Research’s Impact Reports

Each quarter, Policy Research publishes an impact report spotlighting our work across the country via our technical assistance centers, projects, and fee-for-service activities.

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