CMHS Program

The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), the federal agency within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), US Department of Health and Human Services, provides grants for the improvement and expansion of systems of care to meet the needs of the estimated 4.5-6.3 million children nationwide with serious emotional disturbances and their families. States, communities, Territories, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations are eligible for the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program, which was first authorized in 1993. Since then, CMHS has funded 130 grantees across the country. Currently, there are 63.

In order to maintain accountability and address the pressing need for information upon which to guide funding and policy-making at the federal and state levels, CMHS has funded a national cross-site evaluation since 1994. Macro International Inc. (MACRO) conducts the national evaluation and works closely with several partners:

• The Department of Child and Family Studies at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, provides Logic Modeling supports to the program and funded communities, supports System of Care Practice Reviews, analyzes national evaluation data, and consults on program evaluation.
• The Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health conducts evaluation training for family members, provides input on the process and outcomes of the program evaluation with a specific emphasis on how the evaluation results can be utilized at the individual community level to strengthen families. In addition, the Federation and Macro collaborate on the implementation of a family-driven research study.
• A Services Evaluation Committee composed of experts in children's mental health services provides guidance to the national evaluation by addressing key components through annual and ad hoc meetings.