This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish the Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team (ACERT) Grant Program . This program authorizes the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to award grants to States, units of local government, Indian Tribes, and neighborhood or community-based organizations. The primary purpose of these grants is to address adverse childhood experiences associated with exposure to trauma. Funds can be utilized to establish ACERTs, develop protocols for connecting children to services, and create referral partnership agreements with behavioral health and substance treatment facilities. Additionally, the grants support integrating law enforcement, mental health, and crisis services, implementing comprehensive support programs, and providing trauma-informed care training to various professionals. The bill also aims to foster cross-system planning and collaboration among diverse agencies to prevent and mitigate the impact of trauma, authorizing $10,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2029.
This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish the Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team (ACERT) Grant Program . This program authorizes the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to award grants to States, units of local government, Indian Tribes, and neighborhood or community-based organizations. The primary purpose of these grants is to address adverse childhood experiences associated with exposure to trauma. Funds can be utilized to establish ACERTs, develop protocols for connecting children to services, and create referral partnership agreements with behavioral health and substance treatment facilities. Additionally, the grants support integrating law enforcement, mental health, and crisis services, implementing comprehensive support programs, and providing trauma-informed care training to various professionals. The bill also aims to foster cross-system planning and collaboration among diverse agencies to prevent and mitigate the impact of trauma, authorizing $10,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2029.