SAMHSA Announces More Than $69 Million in Funding Opportunities for Serious Mental Illness and Suicide Prevention Grant Programs

WASHINGTON - March 6, 2026 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), today announced $69.1 million in funding opportunities for three grant programs: the Children's Mental Health Initiative (CMHI), Implementing Zero Suicide in Health Systems (Zero Suicide) and Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT).

"Last month, I launched a comprehensive plan to strengthen prevention, expand treatment, and advance President Trump's Great American Recovery Initiative," said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "These grants will directly address the root causes of addiction - including homelessness and serious mental illness - and strengthen community safety by expanding treatment that prioritizes recovery, stability, and self-sufficiency."

"Recovery is possible, and these investments help communities reach people earlier with the support and treatment that can change lives," said Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery Kathryn Burgum. "By expanding access to evidence-based mental health services and strengthening community partnerships, we are helping more Americans find a path to healing and stability."

"Addressing serious mental illness and reducing suicide are part of SAMHSA's key strategic priorities that are designed to ultimately change the trajectory of behavioral health trends in America for the better," said SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher D. Carroll. "These programs will help connect people to effective care, support families, and ultimately save lives."

The SAMHSA grants announced today are:

• $43 million for CMHI, a program that provides comprehensive community mental health services to children, youth, and young adults, birth through age 21 with a serious emotional disturbance (SED), which may include efforts to identify and serve children at risk, and their families.
• $16.1 million for Zero Suicide, a program that provides resources for healthcare systems to implement the Zero Suicide framework for adults who are at risk of suicide. The Zero Suicide framework is an evidence-based, comprehensive, multi-setting approach grounded in the belief that suicide deaths within care systems can be preventable.
• $10 million funding opportunity for AOT, a program to facilitate the implementation of AOT for adults with serious mental illness. AOT leverages civil commitment to ensure participation in community-based mental health treatment for people with SMI who meet civil commitment criteria in their state. SAMHSA's AOT grant program supports President Trump's Executive Order Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets by expanding access to AOT and civil commitment services.

President Trump's Great American Recovery Initiative, co-chaired by Secretary Kennedy and Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery Kathryn Burgum, is a new national response to the disease of addiction that will create stronger coordination across government, the healthcare sector, faith communities, and the private sector in order to save lives, restore families, and strengthen our communities.