Description

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2014 Tribal Behavioral Health (Short Title: Native Connections) grants. The purpose of this program is to prevent and reduce suicidal behavior and substance abuse and promote mental health among American Indian/Alaska Native young people up to and including age 24

The goals of this program fall within two of SAMHSA’s Strategic Initiatives: Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness, and Trauma and Justice.  This program will help grantees reduce the impact of substance abuse, mental illness, and trauma on AI/AN communities through a public health approach.  In addition, this grant will allow AI/AN communities to support youth and young adults as they transition into adulthood by facilitating collaboration among agencies.

Native Connections grants are authorized under 520A of the Public Health Service Act, as amended.  This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020 Mental Health and Mental Disorders Topic Area HP 2020-MHMD and Substance Abuse Topic Area HP 2020-SA. 

Eligibility

SAMHSA is limiting eligibility to the following groups based on Congressional appropriations language, which directs SAMHSA to ensure that this grant program focuses on American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) young people within “tribal entities with the highest rates of suicide per capita over the past 10 years.”

Eligible applicants must meet both of these criteria:

• Applicants must be a federally recognized AI/AN tribe or tribal organization, as defined in the Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act (USC 25, Chapter 14, Subchapter II, Section 450b).
  1. A “tribal organization” is the recognized body of an AI/AN tribe that exists to serve the tribal community and includes maximum participation of the AI/AN tribe in all phases of its activities. It is also a legally established organization that is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by an AI/AN governing body, or that is democratically elected by the adult members of the AI/AN community that it serves.
  2. Consortia of tribes or tribal organizations are eligible to apply, but each participating entity must indicate its approval in writing. (Please include approvals in Attachment 5 of this RFA).
      
• From 2004 to 2013, applicants must have an average suicide rate among young people (age 10 through 24) that is equal to or greater than the national age-adjusted rate for AI/AN young people (13.88 per 100,000) for the period between 2004 and 2010. (Please see Appendix G of this RFA for a worksheet with instructions for calculating this rate, as well as Appendix H of this RFA for a Certificate of Eligibility, which must be signed to attest to the fact that each tribe’s rate meets this criterion. Please include the completed Certificate of Eligibility in Attachment 1 of your proposal.)  Applications that do not include a completed Certificate of Eligibility will be screened out and will not be reviewed.

A federally recognized tribe, tribal organization, or consortium may choose to contract with a public or private non-profit organization to develop and implement tribal-sponsored suicide prevention, substance use prevention, and mental health promotion services.  The tribe, tribal organization, or consortium submitting the application is held responsible for all grant activities. 

Award Information

Funding Mechanism: Cooperative Agreement

Anticipated Total Available Funding: $4 million

Anticipated Number of Awards: 20

Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $200,000 per year

Length of Project: Up to 5 years

Cost Sharing/Match Required?: No

For each year of the grant, your total proposed budget must be $200,000 or less (direct and indirect costs).  Whether you receive subsequent funding in Years 2 through 5 will depend on the availability of funds, your progress in meeting project goals and objectives, submission of required data and reports on time, and your compliance with all terms and conditions of the award.

These awards will be made as cooperative agreements.