The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2021 Mental Health Awareness Training grants (Short Title: MHAT).

The purpose of this program is to:

• train individuals (e.g., school personnel, emergency first responders, law enforcement, veterans, armed services members and their families) to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders, particularly serious mental illness (SMI) and/or serious emotional disturbances (SED);
• establish linkages with school- and/or community-based mental health agencies to refer individuals with the signs or symptoms of mental illness to appropriate services;
• train emergency services personnel, law enforcement, fire department personnel, veterans, and others to identify persons with a mental disorder and employ crisis de-escalation techniques; and
• educate individuals about resources that are available in the community for individuals with a mental disorder.

It is expected that this program will prepare and train others on how to appropriately and safely respond to individuals with mental disorders, particularly individuals with SMI and/or SED.

Funding Information

• Anticipated Total Available Funding: $16,778,013
• Anticipated Award Amount: Up to $125,000 per year
• Length of Project: Up to 5 years

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants are domestic public and private nonprofit entities.

For example:

• State governments and territories (the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau).
• Governmental units within political subdivisions of a state, such as a county, city or town (e.g., local education agencies, law enforcement agencies, fire department, emergency medical units).
• Federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes, tribal organizations, Urban Indian Organizations, and consortia of tribes or tribal organizations.
• Community- and faith-based organizations, including those that serve veterans, armed services personnel, and their families.
• Public or private universities and colleges.