Opportunity Information: Apply for SM 19 005
The Tribal Behavioral Health Grant Program (also referred to as Native Connections) is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), specifically involving SAMHSA's Centers for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). Released for FY 2019 under funding opportunity number SM 19 005 (CFDA 93.243), the program is focused on strengthening behavioral health supports for American Indian and Alaska Native communities, with a clear emphasis on youth and young adults through age 24. The overall aim is to address urgent and interconnected issues in tribal communities by preventing and reducing suicidal behavior, reducing substance use, lessening the impacts of trauma, and promoting mental health and well-being.
A central feature of Native Connections is its expectation that grantees will build culturally responsive, community-driven approaches rather than relying on one-size-fits-all models. The program is intended to foster tribal solutions that recognize how historical and ongoing trauma, mental health challenges, and substance use can interact and compound risk for suicide and other harms. SAMHSA frames the work as both preventive and supportive: recipients are expected to develop and implement an integrated set of services and supports that can reduce risk factors, strengthen protective factors, and respond effectively when youth and families need help. In practice, this means coordinating suicide prevention, trauma-informed services, mental health supports, and substance use prevention efforts so they function as a connected system rather than separate programs operating in silos.
Another major goal is improving collaboration and coordination across agencies and community systems that touch the lives of tribal youth, especially as young people transition into adulthood. The grant emphasizes that tribal communities should be in the lead in bringing partners together, aligning resources, and creating smoother pathways to care and support. Recipients are expected to strengthen coordination among providers and programs involved in mental health, trauma response, suicide prevention, and prevention services, with attention to both youth and their families. The program description highlights that Native Connections is not just about delivering services; it is also about building relationships, creating shared strategies, and improving how local systems communicate and work together around young people.
Community involvement is treated as a requirement rather than a suggestion. AI/AN community members are expected to participate in every stage of the grant, including planning, implementation, and evaluation. At minimum, this includes meaningful involvement from youth, family members, tribal leaders, and spiritual advisors, reflecting the program's intent to ground behavioral health strategies in cultural knowledge, community values, and local priorities. The funding announcement also clarifies that, for the purposes of this opportunity, "community" can refer broadly to a tribe, village, tribal organization, or a consortium of tribes or tribal organizations, which allows flexibility in how applicants define the community they serve and organize partnerships.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity had an application closing date of January 4, 2019, with an award ceiling of $250,000 and an anticipated 51 awards. The eligible applicant category is listed as "Others" with further clarification provided in the full eligibility text of the announcement, indicating the program is primarily geared toward tribal entities and related tribal organizations as defined in the full FOA. Overall, Native Connections is designed to help tribal communities strengthen youth behavioral health by combining suicide prevention, substance use prevention, trauma-informed and culturally grounded approaches, and cross-system collaboration, all shaped and guided by the community itself.Apply for SM 19 005
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Tribal Behavioral Health Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.243.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 05, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 04, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 51 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Tribal Behavioral Health Grant Program (Native Connections) FAQs
1) What is the Tribal Behavioral Health Grant Program (Native Connections)?
The Tribal Behavioral Health Grant Program, also referred to as Native Connections, is a discretionary federal grant opportunity intended to strengthen behavioral health supports in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. It focuses on building coordinated, culturally responsive, community-driven approaches that support youth and young adults.
2) Which federal agency offers this grant?
This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
3) Which SAMHSA centers are involved?
The program specifically involves SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP).
4) What fiscal year and funding opportunity number are associated with this announcement?
The information provided describes the FY 2019 release under funding opportunity number SM 19 005.
5) What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 93.243.
6) What is the primary purpose of Native Connections?
The program aims to strengthen behavioral health supports for American Indian and Alaska Native communities, with emphasis on prevention and support strategies that reduce risk and improve well-being among youth and young adults.
7) Who is the primary population this grant is intended to benefit?
The program places a clear emphasis on youth and young adults through age 24, while also recognizing the importance of supporting families and community systems that affect young people.
8) What key issues is the program designed to address?
Native Connections is designed to prevent and reduce suicidal behavior, reduce substance use, lessen the impacts of trauma, and promote mental health and overall well-being in tribal communities.
9) How does the program approach suicide prevention and behavioral health supports?
SAMHSA frames the work as both preventive and supportive. Recipients are expected to develop and implement an integrated set of services and supports that reduce risk factors, strengthen protective factors, and respond effectively when youth and families need help.
10) Does the program require a culturally responsive approach?
Yes. A central feature is the expectation that grantees build culturally responsive, community-driven approaches rather than relying on one-size-fits-all models.
11) What does "community-driven" mean in the context of this grant?
Community-driven means tribal communities are expected to lead the design and implementation of solutions that reflect cultural knowledge, community values, and local priorities, including how services and prevention efforts are organized and delivered.
12) Why does the program emphasize trauma-informed work?
The program recognizes that historical and ongoing trauma, mental health challenges, and substance use can interact and compound risk for suicide and other harms. As a result, Native Connections emphasizes approaches that lessen trauma impacts and support healing and resilience.
13) Are recipients expected to coordinate multiple types of behavioral health efforts?
Yes. The program expects coordination across suicide prevention, trauma-informed services, mental health supports, and substance use prevention so these efforts function as a connected system rather than separate programs operating in silos.
14) Is cross-agency collaboration part of the program expectations?
Yes. A major goal is improving collaboration and coordination across agencies and community systems that touch the lives of tribal youth, particularly as young people transition into adulthood.
15) Who is expected to lead local collaboration under this grant?
The grant emphasizes that tribal communities should be in the lead in bringing partners together, aligning resources, and creating smoother pathways to care and support.
16) What kinds of systems or providers are expected to coordinate under Native Connections?
Recipients are expected to strengthen coordination among providers and programs involved in mental health, trauma response, suicide prevention, and prevention services, with attention to both youth and their families.
17) Is the grant only about delivering services?
No. The description highlights that Native Connections is also about building relationships, creating shared strategies, and improving how local systems communicate and work together around young people.
18) Is community involvement required?
Yes. Community involvement is treated as a requirement rather than a suggestion. American Indian and Alaska Native community members are expected to participate in planning, implementation, and evaluation.
19) Which community members should be meaningfully involved?
At minimum, meaningful involvement is expected from youth, family members, tribal leaders, and spiritual advisors.
20) How does the program define "community" for this opportunity?
For the purposes of this opportunity, "community" can refer broadly to a tribe, village, tribal organization, or a consortium of tribes or tribal organizations, allowing flexibility in how applicants define the community served and organize partnerships.
21) What is the application deadline listed for this funding opportunity?
The application closing date provided is January 4, 2019.
22) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $250,000.
23) How many awards were anticipated?
The announcement notes an anticipated 51 awards.
24) Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
The eligible applicant category is listed as "Others," with further clarification in the full eligibility text of the announcement. The description indicates the program is primarily geared toward tribal entities and related tribal organizations as defined in the full FOA.
25) What is the overall design philosophy of Native Connections?
Overall, the program is designed to help tribal communities strengthen youth behavioral health by combining suicide prevention, substance use prevention, trauma-informed and culturally grounded approaches, and cross-system collaboration, all shaped and guided by the community itself.
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