Description

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2019 Statewide Family Network grant program. The purpose of this program is to better respond to the needs of children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED) and their families by providing information, referrals, and support; and to create a mechanism for families to participate in state and local mental health services planning and policy development. SAMHSA expects that this program will be a catalyst for transforming mental health and related systems in the state by strengthening coalitions among family organizations and between family members, policy makers, and service providers.

The SFN grant program builds upon prior work of SAMHSA to establish a child/adolescent and family focus in programs serving children and adolescents with mental health challenges. Although significant progress has been made, further support will help to ensure the development of self-sufficient, empowered networks that will participate in state and local mental health services planning and health care reform activities associated with improving community-based services for children, youth, adolescents, and young adults with SED.

The goals of the SFN program are to:

• Strengthen network organizational, leadership, and management skills.
• Foster leadership skills among families of children and adolescents with SED.
• Work effectively with policy makers and service providers that support the needs of children and adolescents with SED.
• Promote peer support and social inclusion of families with children and adolescents with SED.

Eligibility

Eligibility is limited to family-controlled domestic public and private non-profit organizations in states, territories, and tribes. A family-controlled organization is one that has a Board of Directors made up of more than 50 percent family members who have primary daily responsibility for the raising of a child or adolescent (up to 18 years of age) with a serious emotional disturbance; or a young adult up to the age of 26 being served by an Individual Education Plan in transition to the adult mental health system. Applicants must submit a Certificate of Eligibility attesting that they meet the requirements of a family-controlled domestic public or private non-profit organization.

Recipients in states and territories who received SFN funding under SM-18-007 are not eligible to apply.

Award Information

Funding Mechanism: Grant

Anticipated Total Available Funding: $1,448,985

Anticipated Number of Awards: 15 (at least 3 awards to family-controlled organizations in tribes pending sufficient application volume from these groups.)

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.