The Behavior Clinic, a mental health program for children run through a partnership between Marquette University and Penfield Children’s Center has received a $1.93 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The grant will support the center’s efforts to treat around 400 children from birth to age 6 annually who have experience significant trauma in Milwaukee County. The grant will be paid out over five years.
“The Behavior Clinic speaks to the value that a strong partnership between a community-based organization and an academic institution can have on the community,” said Christine Holmes, president and chief executive officer of Penfield Children’s Center. “SAMHSA’s incredible investment in the Behavior Clinic will support the critical work our staff is doing with children and families exposed to significant trauma.”
The clinic provides in-home counseling and services to young children who have lived through traumatic events in order to prevent serious mental health issues from developing in the future.
“Research increasingly links significant emotional and behavioral difficulties in childhood to trauma,” said Dr. Bill Henk, dean of the College of Education at Marquette University. “The SAMHSA grant will allow the Behavior Clinic to continue to serve as a leader in this field contributing to the growing body of research on the impact of trauma in early childhood and share this research on best practices from the clinic’s proven home intervention model with practitioners throughout the country.”
The grant will, among other things, help pay for training programs for care providers and help foster collaborations with other agencies.
