# Plain Language Summary: RISE from Trauma Act

This bill creates a new federal program to help communities identify and support children and families dealing with trauma. The government will give grants of up to $6 million each to local organizations that bring together different community groups—like schools, hospitals, police, mental health providers, and nonprofits—to work together on trauma prevention and healing. These coordinating bodies will spend four years assessing what trauma-related problems exist in their communities, developing plans to address them, and delivering services like counseling, support programs, and training. The bill prioritizes funding for communities that have been hit hardest by trauma, including areas with high rates of drug overdoses, violence, poverty, or discrimination.

The bill also expands an existing federal program that allows multiple government agencies to combine their funding and flexibility to run pilot projects focused on helping traumatized youth and families. These pilots can involve programs from the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Housing, and Justice working together through 2028. Additionally, the bill funds hospitals to develop special programs that help patients who come in after overdosing, attempting suicide, or experiencing violence—programs designed to prevent them from returning to the hospital with the same problems.

Overall, this is an attempt to make the government's response to childhood trauma more coordinated and community-focused. Instead of having different agencies working separately, the bill encourages them to pool resources and expertise to identify traumatized kids early and connect families with the right help. The funding would support everything from training teachers and doctors to recognize trauma, to providing actual mental health services and support programs in schools and community centers.

RISE from Trauma Act

Davis, Danny K.

Resilience Investment, Support, and Expansion from Trauma Act of 2023 or the RISE from Trauma Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes, establishes, and extends programs to support youth and families who have experienced, or may experience, trauma. The bill reauthorizes through FY2028 <ul> <li>the National Child Traumatic Stress Network,</li> <li>school-based grants to increase access to trauma-support and mental health services,</li> <li>public health data collection about adverse childhood experiences, and</li> <li>a task force on trauma-informed care.</li> </ul> It also establishes grants for <ul> <li>multi-sector demonstration projects to mitigate trauma and toxic stress;</li> <li>improving outcomes for hospital patients who experience drug overdoses, suicide attempts, or violent injury; and</li> <li>clinical training in infant and early childhood mental health.</li> </ul> Additionally, the bill authorizes (1) federal agencies to use specified discretionary funds for pilot projects to address traumatic exposures among children, and (2) Department of Justice (DOJ) grants to prevent trauma in children by reducing their exposure to violence and trauma. Further, the Department of Health and Human Services must provide resources for training frontline service providers and certain community members about trauma, toxic stress, and resilience. In addition, DOJ must establish a national center to disseminate resources to law enforcement agencies to improve interactions with youth and families who are exposed to violence and trauma. The bill also incorporates trauma-informed practices in programs for health care professional education, health care access, and educators.