SAMHSA is announcing the availability of up to $210 million for Project AWARE State Education Agency grants

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) State Education Agency grants totaling up to $210 million over the next five years.

The purpose of this program is to build or expand the capacity of State Educational Agencies, in partnership with State Mental Health Agencies (SMHAs) overseeing school-aged youth and local education agencies (LEAS), to: (1) increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth; (2) provide training for school personnel and other adults who interact with school-aged youth to detect and respond to mental health issues; and (3) connect school-aged youth, who may have behavioral health issues (including serious emotional disturbance [SED] or serious mental illness [SMI]), and their families to needed services. SAMHSA expects that this program will focus on partnerships and collaboration between state and local systems to promote the healthy development of school-aged youth and prevent youth violence.

SAMHSA expects to fund up to 23 grantees with up to $1.8 million per year for up to five years.  The actual award amount may vary, depending on the availability of funds. The funding opportunity announcement for this grant is available at: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-18-006.

WHO CAN APPLY: Eligibility is limited to State and Tribal Education Agencies.  At least four awards will be made to tribal entities pending adequate application volume from this group. See Section III-1 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for complete eligibility information.

HOW TO APPLY: All applicants must register with the National Institutes of Health’s electronic Research Administration (eRA) Commons in order to submit an application.  This process takes up to six weeks.  If you believe you are interested in applying for this opportunity, you MUST start the registration process immediately.  Do not wait to start this process.  If your organization is not registered and you do not have an active eRA Commons PI account by the deadline, the application will not be accepted. Applicants also must register with the System for Award Management at SAM.gov and Grants.gov/.

APPLICATION DUE DATE:  June 4, 2018 by 11:59 pm (Eastern Time).  Applications must be received by the due date and time to be considered for review. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  Applicants with questions about program issues should contact Wendie Veloz at (240) 276-1849 or SEA_AWARE@samhsa.hhs.gov..  For questions on grants management issues, contact Gwendolyn Simpson at (240) 276-1408 or FOACMHS@samhsa.hhs.gov.  

Reporters with questions should send inquiries to media@samhsa.hhs.gov.


The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA’s mission is to lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and supports to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes.

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