Program Overview

ReCAST — which stands for Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma — is an initiative led by the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) in collaboration with Temple University and other community stakeholders.  The ReCAST initiative promotes resilience and equity in communities that recently faced civil unrest with a focus on youth and young adults and their families by developing evidence-based violence prevention and community youth-engagement programs, as well as offering linkages to trauma-informed behavioral health services. Over five years (2021-2026), this program will work closely with residents and community leaders to provide services, resources, and initiatives that promote resilience and equity, improve behavioral health connections, and reduce trauma through a sustained community-change process. 

The Philadelphia ReCAST Initiative serves six specific neighborhoods.

• North Philadelphia: Nicetown-Tioga, Sharswood-Stanton, Strawberry Mansion
• West/Southwest Philadelphia: Mill Creek-Parkside, Cobbs Creek, Paschall-Kingsessing

Philadelphia ReCAST Mission: To promote resilience and equity, improve behavioral health, and reduce trauma through a sustained community change process.

ReCAST Grant and Overarching Goals:  The Philadephia ReCAST Initiative is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration via a grant awarded to the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility  Services. The ReCAST goals are to:

• Prevent or reduce community violence involving youth and young adults and their families
• Address stress and trauma experienced by youth and young adults and their families
• Strengthen community capacity to foster engagement among neighborhood residents

ReCAST Mini-Grants:  ReCAST Mini-Grant funding is used to support activities and programs for youth and young adults (14 to 24 years) and their families and to further the ReCAST goals as stated above. All approved programs and activities include some element or component that addresses mental health and well-being of youth, young adults and their families (e.g. promoting mental health awareness, providing mental health resources, teaching mindfulness, offering yoga, individual or group counseling, mental health workshops, etc.) Here is a list of fundable strategies. 

• creating safe spaces for youth/young adults and families to address mental health, stress, and trauma and build resilience  
• engaging families to strengthen social, emotional, and behavioral wellness promoting youth resilience, leadership, advocacy, healthy intergenerational communication and self-expression, etc.  
• promoting healthy communication and conflict resolution within and across generations
• providing gun violence prevention activities involving youth, including sports and outdoor recreational opportunities, creative outlets (e.g. music, dance, arts and crafts)
• teaching academic and life skills, including STEM education, workforce development, financial literacy , entrepreneurial skills, conflict resolution, etc.
• providing training on trauma, youth mental health, etc.  
• beautifying and increasing safety of neighborhoods by engaging youth/young adults
• building community capacity to address ReCAST objectives, including promoting effective information and resource sharing

Funding for the ReCAST Mini-Grants is now closed.