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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 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).
The details: That includes:
- $43 million for CMHI, which provides comprehensive community mental health services to youth and young adults 0-21 with a serious emotional disturbance, including efforts to identify and serve children at risk and their families.
- $16.1 million for Zero Suicide, which provides resources for health care systems to implement the Zero Suicide framework for adults at risk of suicide.
- $10 million for AOT, which facilitates the implementation of assisted outpatient treatment for adults with serious mental illness (SMI). AOT leverages civil commitment to ensure participation in community-based mental health treatment for people with SMI.
Why it’s important: Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy said, “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,” tying the grants to the President Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative.
Published
March 2026