Project LAUNCH is a national initiative to promote the wellness of young children from birth to 8 years of age by addressing the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of their development. After initial implementation of Project LAUNCH in El Paso, Texas LAUNCH aims to expand the national initiative to the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo community in El Paso, and the communities of San Antonio and Fort Worth. The project targets behavioral health promotion and prevention using four core strategies: (1) increasing screening and assessment in a range of child-serving settings, (2) providing family strengthening and parent-skills training using the Incredible Years Program and Parent Cafés, (3) implementing early childhood mental health consultation, and (4) building early childhood competency in the workforce.

In partnership with the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and Aliviane, Inc., the School of Social Work’s  Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health will support the three participating communities in implementing Texas LAUNCH, supporting policy and infrastructure improvement activities, coordinating training and technical assistance, and conducting the evaluation of the initiative. In addition, the initiative will build on existing infrastructure within the state to support the Texas Expansion Oversight Council (TEOC). The TEOC will work to garner additional support for the continued expansion of Texas LAUNCH through policy changes and workforce development. Read more.