UConn School of Social Work's Innovations Institute Awarded $25M Grant to Lead National Youth Mental Health Center

The institute will spearhead the National Training & Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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The UConn School of Social Work's Innovations Institute has been awarded a five-year, $25 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to lead the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC). The center will work to strengthen mental health systems for children, youth, and families across the country.

Why it matters

Nearly one in five youth in the U.S. experience a mental, developmental, or behavioral health challenge, yet fewer than 20% receive the services they need. The NTTAC aims to help states, territories, Tribes, and family- and youth-run organizations expand their capacity to deliver accessible, comprehensive, and effective children's mental health services.

The details

The Innovations Institute, together with its national partner the Family-Run Executive Director Leadership Association (FREDLA), will lead a multidisciplinary collaboration of 11 national organizations to provide training and technical assistance to support SAMHSA's Children's Mental Health Initiative and Statewide Family Network grantees, as well as public entities that plan, develop, and operate children's systems of care. The work will emphasize trauma-responsive, community-based approaches that center family and youth voices.

  • The Innovations Institute previously led the NTTAC from 2015 to 2020.
  • The new five-year grant from SAMHSA begins in 2026.

The players

Innovations Institute

A nationally recognized institute at the UConn School of Social Work that helps public systems translate research and policy into practice, with a focus on building accessible and sustainable systems that are family-and youth-driven, evidence-based, and trauma-informed.

Family-Run Executive Director Leadership Association (FREDLA)

A national partner organization of the Innovations Institute that will co-lead the NTTAC.

Michelle Zabel

The executive director of the Innovations Institute.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

The federal agency that awarded the $25 million grant to the Innovations Institute and FREDLA to lead the NTTAC.

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What they’re saying

“We are honored to be selected by SAMHSA, together with FREDLA, to lead the NTTAC once again. Having previously led this center, we understand the responsibility that comes with this work. We are excited to return to this role and build on what we've learned to help communities strengthen services for children, youth, young adults, and their families.”

— Michelle Zabel, Executive Director, Innovations Institute (Mirage News)

What’s next

The Innovations Institute and FREDLA will begin leading the NTTAC in 2026 and continue the work for the next five years.

The takeaway

This grant highlights the critical need to improve access to mental health services for youth in the U.S. and the Innovations Institute's expertise in translating research into practice to build sustainable, family-centered systems of care.