Innovations Institute

01/13/2026

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently released the 2025 Medicaid and CHIP (MAC) Scorecard, an annually updated dashboard that states and CMS can use to drive improvements in areas such as federal alignment, beneficiary health outcomes, and program administration.

Learn more & access the MAC Scorecard in our most recent TA Telegram: s.uconn.edu/1-12telegram

Not yet subscribed to the biweekly TA Telegram? Subscribe here: s.uconn.edu/subscribe2ii

01/12/2026

January is and the 2026 theme, “Stronger Connections. Stronger Futures.” reminds us that everyday relationships at home, in our communities, and in our workplaces can help prevent human trafficking.

To support outreach efforts, the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Office created a toolkit with resources to help share information, raise awareness, and foster meaningful connections:https://acf.gov/sites/default/files/documents/otip/2026-HTPM-Toolkit_508.pdf

01/09/2026

Most graduate programs don’t teach the specialized skills needed to support families formed through adoption, foster care, or kinship arrangements. The National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI) and the School-Based Mental Health Training (NTI-Ed) from the Center for Adoption Support and Education are free, state-of-the-art, web-based trainings designed to equip professionals across child welfare, mental health, and education systems. These trainings, along with coaching to move knowledge into practice, provide practical, adoption-competent strategies and tools to support the permanency of children and their foster, kinship, and adoptive families.

Learn more:
🔹Blog post with overview: s.uconn.edu/nti-blog
🔹National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative: s.uconn.edu/nti-training
🔹School-Based Mental Health Training: s.uconn.edu/nti-ed

01/08/2026

ICYMI: UConn School of Social Work's is hiring a Senior Program Specialist to support our Parent, Infant & Early Childhood (PIEC) team across a range of activities related to improving the quality, accessibility, and effectiveness of early childhood behavioral health systems.

🔗 Apply here: s.uconn.edu/piec-sps-job
💡 Learn more about PIEC: s.uconn.edu/piec

01/07/2026

ICYMI: the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline and SAMHSA updated the #988 Partner Toolkit with a refreshed 988 Fact Sheet and information to help partners explain the distinctions between 988 and 911.

Explore the resources & share with your network: s.uconn.edu/988toolkit

***dePrevention #988

01/05/2026

Happy New Year!

As we begin 2026, looks forward to continuing our work to create brighter futures for children, youth, young adults, and their families. It is a true honor to partner with each and every one of you.

Warmest wishes for a peaceful year ahead!

12/22/2025

ICYMI: The Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS) has EXTENDED the DEADLINE for applications to the Project AWARE & TISS Sustainability Planning Learning Community to Monday 1/5/2026!

What it is:
✔️ 6 bi-weekly sessions (Feb-Apr 2026)
✔️ Practical tools & expert consultation
✔️ Peer-to-peer sharing with other AWARE & TISS teams

Why AWARE & TISS Grantees should join:
✔️ Make progress on the plan during the series – not after!
✔️ See how other teams are approaching sustainability
✔️ Leave with a drafted or enhanced plan you can report on

Questions? Contact Neb Tesfa, Project Coordinator at CMHIS at ntesfa@stanford.edu with the subject line “Sustainability Planning Learning Community Application.”

Apply by Monday, January 5, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT: s.uconn.edu/aware-tiss

12/19/2025

ICYMI: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued grant forecasts for FY 2026, including for:
*️⃣ Children's Mental Health Initiative ( )
*️⃣ National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative
*️⃣ Community Programs for Youth & Young Adults at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis.
🔗 Add the dates to your calendar:

The following are the forecasted grants for FY 2025.

12/18/2025

Check out this first episode of UW SMART Center's new series SMART Talks!

"Self-Reported Problems of Adolescents Seeking School Mental Health Services" features Eric Bruns offering a straightforward, abridged explanation of a recent study by the same name.

View the video: s.uconn.edu/smarttalk1
Read the full publication: https://bit.ly/ST1SelfReported

12/16/2025

🌱 We’re hiring!

at the UConn School of Social Work is seeking a Senior Program Specialist to join our Parent, Infant & Early Childhood (PIEC) team. This role supports impactful early childhood behavioral health initiatives through cross-system collaboration, project management, and partnership engagement.

🔗 Apply here: s.uconn.edu/piec-sps-job
💡 Learn more about PIEC: s.uconn.edu/piec

12/15/2025

Thrilled to share that a recent article from our team on implementation outcomes was selected by Psych Services for inclusion in an Editor's Choice collection of articles focused on Value-Based Care and Behavioral Health System Innovation!

The article from the June 2025 issue, "How State Administrative Structures Influence Implementation Outcomes for Wraparound Care Coordination," examines how organizational and system variables affect implementation outcomes for wraparound.

Congratulations team!

Read the article: s.uconn.edu/wraparticle
View the rest of the collection: s.uconn.edu/vbc-articles

12/12/2025

States are taking action to address a growing challenge in : and staying in the emergency department (ED) longer than medically necessary while they wait for appropriate treatment options.

A new brief from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) highlights how states are working with hospitals, providers, and community partners to reduce ED boarding, strengthen care pathways, and better support young people and their .

Read more about emerging strategies and state examples: s.uconn.edu/nashp-brief