SAMHSA Awards $73.2 Million for Mental Health Treatment and Suicide Prevention Programs

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced today that it has awarded $73.2 million in grants to strengthen children’s mental health services, suicide prevention programs, and to expand assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) to those with serious mental illness.

“Americans deserve a mental health system that delivers results. These investments will expand access to effective treatment, strengthen suicide prevention, and help communities care for people before a crisis becomes a tragedy,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “We will continue to support programs that are accountable, evidence-based, and focused on restoring health.”

“Far too many Americans, including children, are affected by mental illness and the risk of suicide, but we also know that getting better is possible and that effective treatments and proven programs can change lives,” said SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher D. Carroll. “At SAMHSA, we are committed to equipping communities with the resources they need to expand access to care, improve mental health outcomes, and help more people build healthier, more hopeful futures.”

Today’s awards will support evidence-based, community-driven programs that expand access to mental health services, strengthen suicide prevention efforts, and improve treatment for individuals with serious mental illness. Through these investments, SAMHSA is advancing its mission to reduce the impact of mental illness and substance use disorders on America’s communities by supporting proven approaches that promote recovery, improve outcomes, and increase access to quality behavioral healthcare.

The $73.2 million in awards includes:

• Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) – ($44.3 million) – The purpose of this initiative is to provide comprehensive community mental health services to children, youth, and young adults, birth through age 21 with a serious emotional disturbance, which may include efforts to identify and serve children at risk, and their families.
• Implement Zero Suicide in Health Systems – ($17.6 million) – The purpose of this program is to provide resources to healthcare systems to implement the Zero Suicide framework for adults at risk of suicide.
• Assisted Outpatient Treatment – ($11.2 million) – The purpose of this program is to facilitate implementation of AOT programs for adults with serious mental illness. This funding advances the President’s Executive Order Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.

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.