News SAMHSA Awards $96.7 Million in Behavioral Health Funding, Including $63.4 Million for PATH

On August 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced $96.7 million in grants and cooperative agreements to strengthen behavioral health services nationwide. The awards cover outreach and services for people who are homeless, suicide prevention and early intervention, substance use disorder treatment, training and technical assistance, peer support, and disaster-related emotional support.

"These investments reflect SAMHSA's commitment to making sure people can get the right support at the right time, whether they are homeless, facing a mental health or substance use challenge, at risk of suicide, or coping with the effects of a disaster," said SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher D. Carroll.

The awards

• Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), $63.4 million. Formula-based funding for 50 states, Washington, D.C., and five territories. States and territories pass funding to local organizations delivering street outreach, case management, community mental health care, substance use treatment, housing-related assistance, and referrals to health care, employment, education, and housing resources.
• Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention, $16.8 million. Supports states and tribes implementing youth suicide prevention and early intervention strategies.
• Community Programs for Outreach and Intervention with Youth and Young Adults at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P), $7.1 million. Identification of young people up to age 25 at clinical high risk for psychosis, and evidence-based interventions to prevent onset or lessen severity.
• Providers Clinical Support System, Substance Use Disorder Treatment (PCSS-SUD Treatment), $2.9 million. Training, technical assistance, and mentoring for health care professionals to identify and treat substance use disorders, especially opioid and alcohol use disorders.
• Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH), $1.9 million. The national helpline providing confidential emotional support to people experiencing psychological distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
• Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (COE-ED), $1.8 million. National training and technical assistance on screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment.
• Statewide Consumer Network (SCN), $1.7 million. Strengthens the capacity and sustainability of statewide mental health peer-run organizations.
• Targeted Capacity Expansion, Special Projects (TCE-SP), $1.1 million. Treatment and related services for substance use and co-occurring disorders in communities disproportionately affected.

What this means for your practice

PATH is the throughline for our field. Nearly two thirds of this announcement flows to the state and territory formula grants that fund street outreach and engagement for people with serious mental health conditions who are experiencing homelessness. For many communities, PATH-funded staff are the first and sometimes only point of contact with someone living outside, which makes them the most consequential place in the system to start an income conversation.

Worth acting on:

• Assistance with disability applications and other income supports is an allowable PATH service. If your PATH-funded outreach team is not currently connecting people to SSI/SSDI application assistance, this is the moment to build that handoff.
• PATH allocations are formula based, so your state's amount and its subaward process are what matter locally. Connect with your state PATH contact to understand the timeline and whether local allocations are shifting.
• The Statewide Consumer Network awards are a reminder that peer-run organizations are funded partners, not just referral destinations. Peer specialists are often the most effective bridge into a benefits application for someone who has disengaged from services.
• Document what outreach produces. PATH providers report through the PATH Data Exchange, and outreach-to-income outcomes are the kind of evidence that sustains this funding in future cycles.

Income is the entry point, and PATH outreach is often where that entry begins. The work of weaving in health coverage, employment, and housing supports follows from that first contact.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. To locate a treatment facility or provider, visit FindTreatment.gov.

Source: HHS Awards Over $96 Million to Strengthen Mental Health, Suicide Prevention, and Substance Use Disorder Services