Apply for Funding for Mental Health First Aid!
Published on April 17, 2018
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released two funding announcements totaling almost $59 million to fund Mental Health First Aid projects. We encourage eligible organizations to submit applications. We want to draw your attention to the fact that Mental Health First Aid has updated curricula that responds to the national opioid epidemic by teaching people how to identify and respond to people in need. Learn how to use this opportunity to get funding for your Mental Health First Aid program.
Who is eligible: any city, county, state government, school, social service agency, faith-based organization, mental health or addiction provider, college or university, hospital or healthcare system, police department, Fire or EMS department and organization servicing veterans or their families. If you are considering submitting an application, be sure to complete the registration process immediately.
Mental Health Awareness Training Grants
DUE: JUNE 8, 2018
Funding:
- Almost $16 million total.
- Up to $125,000/year over three years to 126 non-profit organizations.
Purpose:
- Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, particularly serious mental illness.
- Establish linkages with school- and/or community-based mental health agencies to refer for the appropriate services or supports.
- Train emergency services personnel, veterans, law enforcement, fire department personnel and others to identify people with mental disorders and employ crisis de-escalation techniques.
- Educate individuals about resources in the community for individuals experiencing mental health or substance use challenges.
More Information: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-18-009
Project AWARE State Education Agency Grants
DUE: JUNE 4, 2018
Funding:
- More than $42 million total.
- Up to $1.8 million/ year for up to five years to as many as 23 State Educational Agencies (SEAs) and Tribal Educational Agencies.
Purpose: Build or expand the capacity of SEAs in partnership with State Mental Health Agencies (SMHAs) overseeing school-aged youth and local education agencies (LEAS) to:
- Increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth.
- Provide training for school personnel and other adults who interact with school-aged youth to detect and respond to mental health issues.
- Connect school-aged youth who may have behavioral health issues, including serious emotional disturbance (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI), and their families to needed services.
More Information: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-18-006
Webinars and Conference Calls
Join us on Thursday, May 3, 2018, from 3:30 " 4:30 p.m. ET for an informational webinar that will discuss:
- An overview of Mental Health First Aid.
- Using Mental Health First Aid in your funding opportunity application.
- Mental Health First Aid training implementation options.
- Specific Mental Health First Aid curriculum content developed as a response to the opioid crisis.
- Other curricula formats available for adults who work with youth, first responders, older adults, higher education, veterans and Spanish-speaking communities.
SAMHSA will host additional webinars and conference calls to review the details of each announcement.