The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, granted more than $88 million to address the nation's mental health crisis and substance use disorder challenges.
Notable allocations include $42.2 million for Project Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education to enhance school-based mental health initiatives, and $17.5 million for the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, aimed at improving services for those who have experienced traumatic events, according to an Aug. 11 news release.
"The United States is currently facing an unprecedented mental health crisis, with young people being especially impacted," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in the release. "These grant programs will help all Americans get the support and care they need. Making behavioral health services and resources available to all who need them is an important part of President Biden’s Unity Agenda. The Biden-Harris administration and HHS will continue to do everything in our power to tackle the nation’s mental health crisis."
These grant initiatives cater to diverse needs, spanning the development and support of school-based mental health programs to expanding access to treatments for substance use disorders, the release reported. Tackling the persistent challenges of the nation's mental health crisis and overdose epidemic, particularly among young individuals, remains a prominent agenda for the Biden-Harris administration, highlighted in President Joe Biden's Unity Agenda.
Grants are dedicated to nationwide efforts aimed at providing evidence-based SUD treatment, a foundational component of the HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy, which aligns with the Biden-Harris administration's National Drug Control Strategy, the release said.
Project AWARE will assist states, territories and Tribes in establishing and bolstering school-based mental health programs that foster positive social and emotional development among school-aged youth, according to the release. This program also includes training for educators and adults interacting with youth to identify and address mental health challenges and connect them with necessary services.
Additionally, $17.5 million will be available for the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, designed to enhance treatment and services for children, adolescents and families who have experienced traumatic events, the release said.
Transforming Lives Through Supported Employment will receive $4.6 million for enhancing employment opportunities for individuals concurrently dealing with mental health and SUDs. The release also reported $4.7 million for Assertive Community Treatment programs targeting young adults and transition-age individuals coping with severe mental illness or emotional disturbances, with a goal to reduce rates of hospitalization, mortality, substance use, homelessness and involvement in the criminal justice system.
