Annie E. Casey Mental Health Initiative for Urban Children

The Annie E. Casey Mental Health Initiative for Urban Children Program was designed as a mechanism to coordinate social services from various agencies to residents of the Third Ward. This demonstration project was implemented in five U.S. cities. The project targets the Third Ward neighborhood in Houston. The schools participating in the program are: Blackshear, Douglas, Lockhart, Turner and MacGregor elementary schools, Ryan and Cullen middle schools, and Yates High School. The program goal is to demonstrate new ways of delivering culturally appropriate and family sensitive mental health services to urban communities and to work with states to inspire new policies and practices supporting these services. The project seeks to bring together all state and local public agencies serving children as well as community based organizations with the goal of redesigning children’s mental health services. The project is evaluated by the Casey Foundation. The Houston program is housed at Douglass Elementary and provides case management, employment assistance, youth activities, parent training, and advocacy.

Managing Department: Student Support Services

Target: All Grades

Emphasis: Mental Health