Biden-Harris Administration Announces $27.5 Million in Funding Opportunities Enhancing Women’s Behavioral Health

Nearly $1M Awarded for Services Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced notices of funding opportunities aimed at improving women's behavioral health across the United States. With a combined total of $27.5 million, this funding underscores the Administration's commitment to addressing the unique mental health and substance use treatment needs of women. SAMHSA additionally announced nearly $1 million in grant awards for two grant recipients as a part of the Services Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women.

The Notices of Funding opportunities, made possible with funding from President Biden's American Rescue Plan, will support women's behavioral health by expanding access to services and enhancing the capacity of providers to identify and address mental health conditions, substance use, and gender-based violence. These investments advance the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to address the mental health and overdose crises - two key pillars of the President's Unity Agenda for the nation.

Investments in women's health also support the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, HHS' Overdose Prevention Strategy and the Maternal Mental Health Task Force's National Strategy to Improve Maternal Mental Health Care.

"Ensuring the mental health and well-being of expectant and new mothers is a top priority for the Department of Health and Human Services," said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. "By funding community-based maternal behavioral health services, we can offer critical support to women and ultimately invest in America's families."

"Women in all stages of life face unique challenges when it comes to mental health and substance use conditions and accessing quality behavioral health care" said Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA. "This funding invests in whole person care for women and mothers, and addresses issues of access and other inequities with critically needed resources."

Available funding opportunities include:

• Community-Based Maternal Behavioral Health Services Program - $15.0 million - This program improves access to timely, culturally-relevant, evidence-based maternal mental health and substance use treatment. Specifically, the program strengthens community referral pathways and provides seamless transitions in care for pregnant women who are at risk for or currently have a behavioral health condition in the perinatal and postpartum periods.
• Women's Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Center - $12.5 million - This program will enhance the capacity of women's behavioral health providers, general healthcare providers, and others involved in the holistic care of women to address the diverse needs of women with or at risk for mental health and substance use conditions. The program is expected to identify and improve the implementation of evidence-based practices in women's behavioral health across the life span through the provision of training and technical assistance for providers that includes individual consultation, targeted technical assistance and coaching, learning communities, and online educational materials. With this program, SAMHSA aims to fill vital gaps in the field related to provider knowledge and ability to treat the mental health and substance use conditions of women across the nation.

These funding opportunities will advance women's behavioral health nationwide. The announcement made today, in concert with the efforts of other HHS programs, marks historic investments in addressing mental health and substance use needs across America.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get support for mental health, drug or alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov. If you are ready to locate a treatment facility or provider, you can go directly to FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357).

Reporters with questions should send inquiries to [email protected].

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