HHS Awards More Than $380 Million to Strengthen America’s Behavioral Health System on 988 Day

WASHINGTON, D.C. — September 8, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), today announced on 988 Day that the agency has awarded $383.4 million in grants to strengthen behavioral health treatment, prevention, and crisis response nationwide. Of that funding, $252 million will support the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, suicide prevention, and mobile crisis services.

“We are investing more than $380 million to strengthen America’s behavioral health system and help people get effective care when they need it,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “That includes $252 million to strengthen 988, prevent suicide, and improve crisis response in communities across the country. President Trump and I are committed to saving lives and helping more Americans find a path to recovery.”

“988 has become a critical front door to behavioral health care for millions of Americans, but answering the call is only the beginning,” said SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher D. Carroll. “These investments will strengthen access to treatment and recovery services while ensuring that people in crisis can get the immediate help they need.”

The awards announced today include the following:

988, Suicide Prevention, and Crisis Services ($252 million)

• 988 State and Territory Local Capacity Building/Cooperative Agreements for States and Territories to Improve Local 988 Capacity ($205.8 million) will improve state and territory responses to all 988 contacts, including calls, chats, and texts, originating in the state or territory and improve services for populations at high risk of suicide and overdose.
• Support for 988 Tribal Response Cooperative Agreements ($19.9 million) will provide resources to improve response to 988 contacts originating in tribal communities or activated by American Indians and Alaska Natives.
• Tribal Behavioral Health: Suicide Prevention ($13.9 million) will support efforts to prevent suicide attempts and deaths by suicide among American Indian and Alaska Native youth and young adults through age 24 in Tribal communities.
• Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis Team Partnerships ($12.4 million) will establish new or enhance existing mobile crisis teams serving children, youth, and adults experiencing mental health or substance use crises and expand community-based crisis response capacity.

Substance Use Treatment and Prevention ($81.4 million)

• Rural Emergency Medical Services Training ($13.4 million) will improve emergency medical services for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis in rural areas.
• Tribal Behavioral Health Substance Use Prevention ($12.1 million) will help prevent and reduce substance use and overdose among American Indian and Alaska Native youth and young adults through age 24 by building community-driven prevention systems, services, and partnerships.
• Preventing Drug Overdoses: Community Prevention and Response (PDO) ($10.6 million) will support the development and implementation of community-wide programs to prevent and reduce drug overdose deaths by expanding access to FDA-approved opioid overdose reversal medications.
• Grants to Expand Substance Use Disorder Treatment Capacity in Adult and Family Treatment Drug Courts ($7.4 million) will expand substance use disorder treatment and recovery support services in existing drug courts.
• Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Centers ($7.1 million) will develop and disseminate training and technical assistance to address the high prevalence of opioid and stimulant use and overdose affecting rural communities.
• Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women ($6.1 million) will provide comprehensive services for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders across the continuum of residential settings that support treatment and sustain recovery.
• Treatment and Recovery Services for Youth, Young Adults, and Families ($7 million) will enhance comprehensive treatment and recovery services for youth ages 12–17 and young adults ages 18–25 with substance use disorders and/or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders, as well as their families and caregivers.
• Emergency Department Alternatives to Opioids Program ($5.9 million) will support the development and implementation of alternatives to opioids for pain management in hospitals and emergency departments, helping reduce the likelihood of future opioid misuse.
• Tribal Opioid Response ($4.7 million) will assist in addressing the opioid overdose crisis in Tribal communities by increasing access to FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder and supporting the continuum of prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for opioid use disorder and co-occurring substance use disorders.
• Preventing Youth Overdose: Treatment, Recovery, Education, Awareness and Training ($2.6 million) will increase local awareness among youth and young adults of the risks associated with fentanyl and provide access to substance use prevention, treatment and recovery support services.
• Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act Grants (STOP Act) ($2.1 million) will help prevent and reduce underage alcohol use among youth and young adults ages 12-20 in communities across the United States.
• Recovery Community Services Program – Statewide Network ($1.4 million) will strengthen recovery organizations, statewide recovery networks, and health care systems to improve the delivery of recovery support services.
• Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information Related to Behavioral Health ($1 million) will provide training, technical assistance and educational resources for healthcare practitioners, families, individuals, states, and communities on HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, and other privacy requirements related to behavioral health information.

Mental Health ($50 million)

• National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative – Category II Treatment and Service Adaptation Centers (NCTSI-II) ($14.3 million) will provide national expertise for specific types of childhood traumatic events, population groups, and service systems and support the adaptation of evidence-based treatment and service approaches for communities across the nation.
• Promoting the Integration of Primary and Behavioral Healthcare ($12.8 million) will help states strengthen the integration of physical and behavioral health care, including evidence-based or evidence-informed screening, assessment, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and recovery services for mental and substance use disorders and co-occurring physical health conditions and chronic diseases.
• Trauma-Informed Services in Schools ($5.1 million) will increase student access to evidence-based support services and mental health care by linking local school systems with local trauma support and mental health services. local school systems with local trauma support and mental health services.
• Statewide Family Network ($1.7 million) will strengthen the capacity of statewide, family-controlled mental health organizations to support, train, and mentor family members and primary caregivers raising children, youth, and young adults with serious emotional disturbance or co-occurring disorders.
• Behavioral Health Partnerships for Early Diversion of Adults and Youth ($5.8 million) will help states and communities develop and implement programs to divert youth and adults with mental illness or co-occurring disorders who are at risk of criminal or juvenile justice involvement to community-based services before arrest or booking.
• Circles of Care for American Indian/Alaska Natives ($6.5 million) will support American Indian and Alaska Native tribes in planning and developing a comprehensive, community-based system of care for children, youth, young adults and their families.
• Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) ($3.8 million) will establish or expand intensive, team-based ACT programs for transition-aged youth ages 18–25, adults, and older adults with serious mental illness.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To locate a treatment facility or provider, visit FindTreatment.gov.