Funding Available to Develop Comprehensive Youth Transition Programs

SAMHSA News Release
Date: February 20, 2002
Contact: Paolo del Vecchio
Phone: 301-443-2619

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) today announced the availability of funds to develop comprehensive transition programs serving youth with serious emotional disturbances or serious metal illnesses.

Approximately $2 million is available to fund 4-5 Cooperative Agreements for four years each. These awards are to develop, implement, stabilize, and document models of comprehensive programs to help support youth with serious emotional disturbance or serious mental illness as they enter adulthood.

"These funding opportunities help develop adolescents and post-teen youth for the demands of adulthood. Vocational capability, living independently, furthering their education are difficult for many young people with serious emotional disturbances or mental illnesses," stated Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. "It our responsibility to provide these young people with the opportunity to live and thrive."

"The needs of youth with mental illness in transition to adulthood are critical," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie. "Without a transition program, these youth may be caught between systems or not receive the services they need to successfully move into adulthood."

"Youth with mental illness are at high risk for serious complications in their lives, like dropping out of high school, contacts with the juvenile justice system, and unplanned pregnancy," said CMHS Director Bernard Arons, M.D. "Organizations that receive funding will develop reports on the short-term effectiveness of the grant program."

No more than 500,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) will be awarded per cooperative agreement per year. Actual funding levels depend on availability of funds.

Eligibility for applicants is limited to States, Indian Tribes or tribal organizations, political subdivisions of States (e.g. county, city), the District of Columbia and U.S. territories (Guam, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.

The deadline for receipt of applications is April 11, 2002. Details regarding all SAMHSA funding opportunities will also be published in the Federal Register and may be found on the SAMHSA website at www.samhsa.gov as they become available. 

Complete application kits may be obtained by calling the CMHS Clearinghouse at 800-789-2647. Interested parties should request a copy of GFA SM-02-003, Partnerships for Youth Transition. Questions on program issues should be directed to Diane Sondheimer, Phone: (301) 443-1333, E-mail: dsondhei@samhsa.gov. Grants Management questions should be directed to Steve Hudak, Phone: (301)443-4456, E-mail: shudak@samhsa.gov.

SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States. Information on SAMHSA's programs is available on the Internet at www.samhsa.gov. News media requests should be directed to Media Services at (800) 487-4890.

Source: SAMHSA

This "Mental Health E-News" posting is a service of the New York Ass'n of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, a statewide coalition of people who use and/or provide community mental health services dedicated to improving services and social conditions for people with psychiatric disabilities by promoting their recovery, rehabilitation and rights.

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