Andrea Palm, Deputy Secretary | https://www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/andrea-palm.html
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has announced over $65 million in grant awards and funding opportunities aimed at addressing mental health and substance use crises. These initiatives are part of the President’s Unity Agenda, with $27.5 million allocated to the Strategic Prevention Framework – Partnerships for Success (SPF-PFS) program.
From 2020 to 2023, SPF-PFS grantees reached over 40 million people nationwide through various activities such as community- and school-based interventions, public health messaging, and enforcement of laws to prevent underage access to substances like alcohol and tobacco.
Additional awards will support children with unmet behavioral health needs, increase access to behavioral health care for those at risk of homelessness, and enhance the behavioral health workforce by supporting substance use disorder (SUD) training for graduate-level healthcare professionals.
“We must continue to do everything in our power to help Americans who are struggling with mental health and substance use challenges. By increasing access to treatment and support in many different forms, we continue to strengthen communities nationwide,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “President Biden and Vice President Harris’ Unity Agenda is helping solve big challenges that impact all Americans. The progress we make benefits everyone, no matter where you are across this nation.”
“SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework-Partnerships for Success grants help Tribes, state and local governments, and institutions of higher education develop and implement effective substance use prevention strategies and messages,” said Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.
The $49.1 million in awards includes:
- **Strategic Prevention Framework – Partnerships for Success for States** ($12.5 million): Supports state-level development of substance use prevention strategies.
- **Strategic Prevention Framework – Partnerships for Success for Communities** ($15 million): Supports community-based substance use prevention strategies.
- **Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children's Health (Project LAUNCH)** ($8 million): Promotes wellness among young children by addressing their developmental needs.
- **Treatment for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness** ($7.2 million): Provides services for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness with serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders.
- **Provider’s Clinical Support System Universities** ($5.7 million): Ensures SUD education is integrated into graduate-level healthcare curricula.
- **Coalitions Training Cooperative Agreement (CADCA)** ($675 thousand): Expands SAMHSA’s capacity related to prevention training.
SAMHSA also announced up to $16.6 million available across two new funding opportunities:
- **Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Planning Grants** ($15 million): Supports states in developing certification systems for CCBHCs.
- **Syndemic Approach to Preventing HIV and Substance Use Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities** ($1.6 million): Aims at advancing equity in health outcomes among disproportionately impacted communities.
These efforts align with SAMHSA's mission to promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, provide treatments, foster recovery while ensuring equitable access.
For those struggling or in crisis: call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org; find support at FindSupport.gov; locate a treatment facility at FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357).
Reporters can send inquiries to media@samhsa.hhs.gov.
