The ReCAST Initiative

Our mission is to use trauma-informed approaches to promote healing and resiliency among community members in the aftermath civil unrest and traumatic events that surfaced in Baton Rouge during the summer of 2016.

During a February 2018 meeting of the ReCAST BR coalition, stakeholders brainstormed about what Baton Rouge should look like in the next 3-5 years. From these responses a range of options emerged to consider for our vision. The coalition's goals and mission statement were formed after reviewing language and grant requirements from the SAMHSA* Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) as well as by the intent of the work by the coalition.

The Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) Grant Program is a federal grant program designed to assist high-risk youth and families who live in communities that have experienced trauma due to civil unrest or other community adversities. This program allows community organizations and institutions to collaborate and develop initiatives, programs and strategies to accomplish these goals:

• Promote community resilience and equity

• Reduce and prevent violence

• Engage youth and young adults in their community

• Improve access to behavioral health services

• Address both personal and community-based forms of trauma

*The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has allocated multi-year awards to urban areas across the United States in the form of ReCAST grants to address various forms of trauma in their communities as well as to promote community resilience. In addition to Baton Rouge, these communities have included:

Baltimore, MD; San Antonio, TX;

Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; 

Flint, MI; Louisville, KY; 

Charlotte, NC; Milwaukee, WI; 

Minneapolis, MN; Oakland, CA;

St. Louis, MO

 

This website was made possible, in part, by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.