Description

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2015 Campus Suicide Prevention grants. The purpose of this program is to facilitate a comprehensive public health approach to prevent suicide in institutions of higher education. The grant is designed to assist colleges and universities in building essential capacity and infrastructure to support expanded efforts to promote wellness and help-seeking of all students. Additionally, this grant will offer outreach to vulnerable students, including those experiencing substance abuse and mental health problems who are at greater risk for suicide and suicide attempts.

The Campus Suicide Prevention grant supports a wide range of program activities and prevention strategies to build and sustain a foundation for mental health promotion, suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention and other prevention activities such as interpersonal violence and by-stander interventions. As an Infrastructure Development grant, funds cannot be used to pay for direct traditional mental health and substance abuse treatment services such as therapy, counseling, and medication management.

The Campus Suicide Prevention Grant program seeks to address behavioral health disparities among racial, ethnic, sexual and gender minorities by encouraging the implementation of strategies to decrease the differences in access, service use and outcomes among the racial and ethnic minority populations served. (See PART II: Appendix G – Addressing Behavioral Health Disparities.)

SAMHSA intends that these grants will assist colleges and universities to have a campus free from the tragedy of suicide which also supports the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Objective 8.1 (See 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action (PDF | 394 KB)).

Campus Suicide Prevention grants are authorized under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (Section 520E-2 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended). This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020 Mental Health and Mental Disorders Topic Area HP 2020-MHMD. This grant also directly supports SAMHSA’s Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Strategic Initiative. For more information on SAMHSA’s six Strategic Initiatives go to http://www.samhsa.gov/about-us/strategic-initiatives.

Eligibility

Eligibility for SAMHSA’s Campus Suicide Prevention Grant program is statutorily limited to institutions of higher education.  Applicants from both public and private institutions may apply, including state universities, private four-year colleges and universities (including those with religious affiliations), Minority Serving Institutions of higher learning (i.e. Tribal colleges and universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions), and community colleges.

Entities that have previously been awarded a Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant are not eligible. SAMHSA is limiting the eligibility to applicants who have not previously received an award in order to allow for a broader distribution of the limited funds across campuses and universities.  Since the purpose of this program is to facilitate a comprehensive approach to preventing suicide in institutions of higher education, this program assists colleges and universities in preventing suicide attempts and deaths by suicide. It also enhances services for students with mental and behavioral health problems, such as depression and substance use/abuse that put them at risk for suicide and suicide attempts. These grants assist colleges and universities in having a campus free from the tragedy of suicide.

Such institutions may carry out the activities of this grant through college health/wellness/counseling centers, college and university psychological services centers, mental/behavioral health centers, psychological training clinics, academic departments or institutions of higher education-supported, evidence-based mental health and substance abuse programs. The activities of this grant may be carried out with the engagement of student-run services such as student organizations and/or student government councils.  If a consortium is formed to carry out the activities of this grant, a single institution in the consortium must be the legal applicant, the recipient of the award on behalf of the consortium, and the entity legally responsible for satisfying the grant requirements.

Award Information

Funding Mechanism: Grant

Anticipated Total Available Funding: $2,076,395

Anticipated Number of Awards: 20

Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $102,000 annually

Length of Project: Up to 3 years

Cost Sharing/Match Required?: Yes

Proposed budgets cannot exceed $102,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project. Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, grantee progress in meeting project goals and objectives, timely submission of required data and reports, and compliance with all terms and conditions of award.