HHS Announces $27.5 Million in Funding Opportunities Enhancing Women’s Behavioral Health

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 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. 

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 - PDF, HHS’ Overdose Prevention Strategy and the Maternal Mental Health Task Force’s National Strategy to Improve Maternal Mental Health Care - PDF. 

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 health care 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.