{"@type": "dcat:Dataset", "accessLevel": "public", "bureauCode": ["009:70"], "contactPoint": {"@type": "vcard:Contact", "fn": "ACF Data Team", "hasEmail": "mailto:ohsepr@acf.hhs.gov"}, "description": "En Espa\u00f1ol\u00a0(PDF)\n\nSupporting the behavioral health of children, families, and youth is an essential priority for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). We see youth and families facing mental health challenges, substance use struggles, and high levels of stress. In partnership with federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local partners, as well as youth and families themselves, we have \u2014 through prioritizing actions and investments \u2014 further integrated behavioral health support and services\n  \n  \n\n\u00a0into existing supports for youth and families. This enables us to promote behavioral health, foster recovery, cultivate resilience, and strengthen overall well-being among individuals and communities across the country.\n\nI\u2019m proud of the work ACF has done \u2014 and will continue to do \u2014 in partnership with all of you to address the President\u2019s Strategy to Address our National Mental Health Crisis\n  \n  \n\n and the HHS Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration\n  \n  \n\n. I\u2019d like to highlight in this email some of our work and accomplishments to improve behavioral health for children, youth, and families.\n\nACF is committed to centering and partnering with youth, families, and communities and learning from their experiences and expertise as we transform behavioral health in this country. The ACF team and I have regularly listened to, engaged with, and co-developed several behavioral health resources. These engagements have informed behavioral health activities, policy, and communications to better reach and serve children, youth, parents, and caregivers.\n\nA few examples of ACF\u2019s engagements include:\n\nAs part of this commitment, we recently launched our\u00a0ACF and Behavioral Health\u00a0webpage\u00a0to expand access to resources for communities, parents and caregivers, teens and young adults, tribes, grantees, and service providers. Included online are resources to support the prevention, treatment, and recovery from behavioral health conditions; recognize, manage, and support children\u2019s mental health needs; and address substance use during pregnancy. We have also dedicated a webpage specifically for early childhood behavioral health resources.\n\nI encourage you to share these resources within your networks and to note that near the top center of the webpage is a tool to translate the information into a variety of languages; ACF is committed to promoting language access. In the coming months, we will be making additional changes and adding new resources, including several Spanish language resources.\n\nWe are working with partners across the federal government to increase access to culturally and linguistically relevant support for youth and families served by ACF programs.\n\nA few examples of ACF\u2019s efforts to improve access to culturally and linguistically relevant resources include:\n\nACF has been a partner in launching the first-ever HHS Children and Youth Resilience Challenge\n  \n  \n\n, which is investing in innovative, community-led solutions to advance the mental health of children and youth. Later this month, ACF will be announcing finalists for Phase 1 of the Challenge to support the mental health of children.\n\nLast year, we partnered with Instituto del Desarrollo de la Juventud\n  \n  \n\n and the U.S. Census Bureau to develop new solutions to enhance children\u2019s resilience to adversity in Puerto Rico\n  \n  \n\n\u00a0(PDF). The collaborative process led by The Opportunity Project brought together youth, tech, academic, and community partners to address the challenge by building public-facing products informed by open federal data.\n\nACF values and welcomes your partnership to support behavioral health of children, youth, and families. We are in this work together.\n\nWith thanks for your leadership,\n\nJanuary Contreras\n\nAssistant Secretary\n\nMetadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.", "distribution": [{"@type": "dcat:Distribution", "description": "Access the complete ACF\u2019s Commitment to Behavioral Health on the official website.", "downloadURL": "https://acf.gov/policy-guidance/acf-commitment-behavioral-health", "mediaType": "text/html", "title": "Official Data Source"}], "identifier": "https://healthdata.gov/api/views/dyyf-n7bk", "issued": "2025-09-03", "keyword": ["mental", "substance", "behavioral", "policy", "child"], "landingPage": "https://healthdata.gov/d/dyyf-n7bk", "modified": "2025-09-06", "programCode": ["009:045"], "publisher": {"@type": "org:Organization", "name": "Administration for Children and Families"}, "theme": ["ACF"], "title": "ACF\u2019s Commitment to Behavioral Health"}