Strategic Initiatives
MHB dedicates staff time and technical assistance to support these cross-sector initiatives focused on improving mental health outcomes for vulnerable populations in the St. Louis region.
St. Louis Area Violence Prevention Commission
Saint Louis MHB provides backbone support and staffing to the St. Louis Area Violence Prevention Commission (VPC), a regional effort to align, convene and connect the organizations addressing gun violence prevention and reduction. The VPC focuses on promoting and advocating for policies and a coordinated, well-resourced system of interventions among area governments, institutions and non-profit agencies that serve individuals and families most at risk of violent crime.
St. Louis ReCAST
Saint Louis MHB partners with the City of St. Louis Department of Health and the St. Louis County Department of Public Health (SAMHSA Grant Recipient) to coordinate Projects for Community Well-Being for the St. Louis ReCAST (Resilience in Communities After Stress and Trauma) initiative. Focused geographically on the federally designated “St. Louis Promise Zone,” situated in parts of North City and North County, ReCAST uses citizen participatory budgeting to invest in five priorities that evidence shows build community resilience: mental health services, peer support resources, violence prevention, youth engagement, and trauma-informed care.
System of Care St. Louis Region
Saint Louis MHB manages a four-year cooperative agreement through U.S. Department of HHS, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to expand the region’s Children’s Mental Health System of Care (SOC). The System of Care, St. Louis Region, is a collaborative network of agencies, families and youth focused on the total health of children and families with, or at risk for, serious emotional disorders.