HHS announces $35 million in new funding opportunities to strengthen mental health services for children and young adults
Author
Blaire Bryant
Upcoming Events
Related News
Key Takeaways
On March 9, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Office of Minority Health (OMH) announced new funding opportunities for states and counties to improve and expand access to community mental health services for children and young adults. As a part of the administration’s new strategy to address the nation’s mental health crisis, this new funding seeks to improve mental health programs and services through early intervention and suicide prevention in schools, universities, foster care systems and other youth centered settings.
Counties are directly eligible for 4 of the 7 new grant programs under this funding announcement, including:
- Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education)
- Expansion and Sustainability of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED)
- The Community Programs for Outreach and Intervention with Youth and Young Adults at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P)
- Demonstrating Policy Effectiveness To Promote Black Youth Mental Health
Together, these grants provide approximately $27 million in new funding opportunities for counties to improve access to mental health services for youth and young adults.
Counties are integral to the nation’s behavioral health system, investing annually more than $100 billion in community health systems, including mental health and addiction services. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the nation’s ongoing mental health crisis and exposed key gaps in access and coverage to behavioral and mental health services, with children and young adults disproportionately affected.
Through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investments, counties have begun to address these areas of vulnerability, while also recognizing the need for sustained resources and support from our federal partners. Counties will continue to work with Congress and the administration to provide mental health resources for youth and advance policies and practices that tackle the nation’s mental health crisis.
For a list of the new funding opportunities, click here. Grant application deadlines vary by program and span from April 18, 2022, to May 31, 2022.
Additional Resources
- NACo Blog: President Biden announces strategy to address the national mental health crisis
- NACo Workshop: Leveraging Federal Funding to Strengthen Mental Health in Schools
- NACo Policy Brief: Enhance Counties’ Ability to Prevent and Treat Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders
- NACo Report: Counties and the American Rescue Plan Act Recovery Fund: Behavioral Health
Resource
Counties and the American Rescue Plan Act Recovery Fund: Behavioral Health
Related News
MAHA Commission releases federal strategy outlining next steps in childhood chronic disease prevention
On September 9, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission’s new Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy, following the earlier MAHA Report published in May 2025. The strategy builds on the assessment’s findings regarding four key drivers of childhood chronic disease: poor diet, chemical exposure, lack of physical activity and chronic stress and overmedicalization.
CMS releases details on the Rural Health Transformation Program
On September 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released additional details on the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, overviewing program goals, requirements and timelines.
Counties encouraged to apply for newly established HHS Healthcare Advisory Committee
On August 22, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the creation of a new Healthcare Advisory Committee, aimed at providing expert guidance on pressing healthcare challenges. This new committee represents an important opportunity for counties to have a voice in shaping federal healthcare policy.