Special Projects
The Link Center also focuses efforts on special projects around topics of importance, with coordination among organizations, input from subject matter experts, and collaboration across states agencies.
The Administration for Community Living (ACL), in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has funded two targeted projects in the support of The Link Centers Goals:
1. Ensuring an Inclusive 988 and Crisis Lifeline System: a 6 State Policy Academy
2. An Environmental Landscape for Children with I/DD, Brain Injury and MH Conditions with Multi-System Involvement.
These efforts have resulted in the identification of state-level strategies that can improve outcomes for people with I/DD, brain injury and neurodevelopmental disabilities.
988 Policy Academy
In 2025, ACL and SAMHSA funded a 6-state Policy Academy to create more responsive 988 crisis response systems for individuals with I/DD, brain injury, and other disabilities. State’s cross-agency teams collaborated to better understand ways to enhance accessibility statewide while The Link Center partners continue to develop general resources to guide all states in creating more responsive 988 systems.
Supporting Children with Complex Neurodevelopmental Needs
In 2025, ACL and SAMHSA funded a project employing a multi-faceted research methodology analyzing data and information to
(1) Explore and define the needs of children identified as complex
(2) Identify the type of services and supports that are effective for children with complex needs
(3) Describe a multi-system, collaborative approach to delivering and funding services