San Bernardino Behavioral Health, Community Healing, and Safety Partnership Initiative - El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center proposes the San Bernardino Behavioral Health, Community Healing, and Safety Partnership Initiative, a five-year project to address the behavioral health impacts of crime, violence, and trauma among youth, families, and residents of the City of San Bernardino. The project will strengthen community safety and well-being by expanding community-based behavioral health prevention, early intervention, recovery support, and coordinated systems of care through a Community Health Worker (CHW)-led model. The project will serve residents in five high-need ZIP codes (92410, 92411, 92404, 92405, and 92408), where exposure to crime and violence contributes to significant behavioral health challenges. San Bernardino's violent crime rate is approximately twice the California average, while an estimated 15,354 county residents with mental health needs go without services each year. Among youth, only 9.1% of those needing mental health counseling receive care, and the youth suicide rate increased 33% between 2019 and 2023. At the same time, the region faces severe behavioral health workforce shortages and fragmented service systems that limit timely access to care. Building upon El Sol's existing interdisciplinary partnerships, the project will establish a Behavioral Health and Community Safety Coalition consisting of behavioral health providers, community-based organizations, schools, public health agencies, faith-based organizations, healthcare providers, public safety partners, and community residents. The coalition will guide a Community Needs and Resources Assessment, develop a Community Strategic Plan, strengthen the capacity of five community-based organizations, and implement coordinated behavioral health outreach, screening, navigation, referral, recovery support, and community healing services. The project will also provide Community Health Worker workforce development, mental health literacy training, technical assistance, and standardized screening, referral, and data-sharing protocols to improve coordination across systems. Over the five-year project period, the initiative will engage 12,000 residents through community outreach, complete 4,000 behavioral health screenings, provide navigation services to 2,500 individuals, facilitate 2,000 referrals, connect 1,500 individuals to mental health services, provide recovery and resilience supports to 2,000 participants, and train 120 Community Health Workers and frontline staff. Expected outcomes include improved behavioral health and well-being, reduced trauma-related symptoms, increased access to behavioral health services, stronger collaboration among behavioral health, community, and public safety partners, expanded organizational capacity, and a sustainable community infrastructure that strengthens recovery, resilience, community healing, and community safety beyond the grant period.
