Description

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2018 Statewide Consumer¹ Network Program grants (Short Title: SCN). The purpose of this program is to improve efforts to address the needs of adults with serious mental illness (SMI)² by developing and/or expanding peer support services, peer leadership, and peer engagement strategies statewide. The population of focus is  adults with SMI, including those who are underserved and under-represented (e.g., consumers from ethnic, racial, and cultural minority groups); veterans; individuals who are chronically homeless; individuals with co-occurring disorders (COD)³; sexual orientation and gender identity minorities; and individuals who have been involved in the criminal justice system.  It is expected that this program will increase access to and quality of mental health services for adults with SMI; increase the sustainability of consumer-operated⁴ organizations; and enhance state capacity and infrastructure to support the recovery of adults with SMI and their families.

The SCN grant program builds upon prior work of SAMHSA to establish recovery-oriented, consumer-driven services for adults with SMI.  Although significant progress has been made, further support is needed to ensure the development of self-sufficient, empowered networks throughout a state.  By developing appropriate training, education, resources, collaboration, and tools, statewide consumer networks are best poised to bring peer voice, guidance, and foresight into systems change.

The goals of the SCN Program are:

• Improve quality of and access to statewide peer support and recovery-oriented, integrated, and coordinated treatment, services, and supports.
• Emphasize and build statewide consumer leadership within consumer-operated organizations and in the community.
• Build capacity and sustainability of statewide consumer networks.

¹ Consumer is defined as an individual 18 years of age or older with serious mental illness (SMI) and/or who has received services from the public mental health system as a result of a diagnosis of a mental disorder. See Appendix M: Glossary.

² Serious mental illness (SMI) refers to persons age 18 and older who meet the following criteria: (1) At any time during the past year has met the criteria for a mental disorder, including within developmental and cultural contexts, as specified within a recognized diagnostic classification system (e.g., DSM-V); and (2) Displays a functional impairment, as determined by a standardized measure, which impedes progress towards recovery and substantially interferes with or limits the person’s role or functioning in family, school, employment, relationships, or community activities. See Appendix M: Glossary.

³ Co-occurring disorder refers to the presence of both a mental and substance use disorder.

⁴ Consumer-operated refers to an organization that is controlled and managed by mental health consumers and dedicated to improving mental health and ensuring that recovery support services are consumer-driven.  A consumer-operated organization must have a board of directors comprised of more than 50 percent consumers. See Appendix M: Glossary.

Eligibility

Eligibility is limited to domestic public and private non-profit entities, tribes, and Urban Indian organizations that are mental health consumer-operated organizations for at least two years and are not operating under the umbrella of another organization.  To expand the impact of this program and ensure broad geographic distribution, SAMHSA will make only one award per state, territory, or tribe. In addition, SAMHSA will fund at least three tribes/tribal organizations for this announcement and may need to skip fund to do so.

SAMHSA is limiting eligibility to mental health consumer-operated organizations to strengthen the capacity of individuals with serious mental illness to improve efforts to address their needs, including enhancing access to and quality of mental health services.  Only organizations that are operated and managed by mental health consumers are eligible applicants.

Applicants must submit a signed Certificate of Eligibility (refer to Appendix L: Certificate of Eligibility) and supporting documentation in Attachment 3 of the application.  The Certificate of Eligibility attests that the organization meets the requirements of a consumer-operated organization.

Recipients in states and territories who received Statewide Consumer Network funding under SM-16-002 are not eligible to apply.  Refer to Appendix N for a listing of these states.

Award Information

Funding Mechanism: Grant

Anticipated Total Available Funding: $855,000

Anticipated Number of Awards: Up to 9

Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $95,000 per year

Length of Project: Up to 3 years

Cost Sharing/Match Required?: No

Proposed budgets cannot exceed $95,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project. Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, recipient progress in meeting project goals and objectives, timely submission of required data and reports, and compliance with all terms and conditions of award.

Funding estimates for this announcement are based on an annualized Continuing Resolution and do not reflect the final FY 2018 appropriation. Applicants should be aware that funding amounts are subject to the availability of funds.