Nearly $1 million awarded to residential treatment services program 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 a Notice of Funding Opportunity aimed at improving the behavioral health of women across the U.S. The funding, totaling $27.5 million, underscores the Administration’s commitment to address the unique mental health and substance use treatment needs of women. SAMHSA also announced the awarding of nearly $1 million in grants to two grant recipients as part of its Residential Treatment Services for Pregnant and Postpartum Women program.
The Notice of Funding Opportunity, made possible with funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, will support women’s behavioral health by expanding access to services and strengthening providers’ capacity to identify and address mental illness, 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 National Unity Agenda.
Investing in women’s health also supports the White House Women’s Health Research Initiative, the White House Blueprint to Address the Maternal Health Crisis, the 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 pregnant women and new mothers is a top priority for the Department of Health and Human Services,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “By funding community-based maternal behavioral health services, we are providing critical support to women and ultimately investing in American families.”
“Women at all stages of life face unique challenges when it comes to their mental health, substance use conditions, and access to quality behavioral health care,” said Dr. Miriam E. Delphine-Ritmon, HHS Under Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and SAMHSA leader. “This funding will invest in the whole-person care of women and mothers, addressing access and other inequities with critically needed resources.”
Available funding opportunities include:
- Community-Based Maternal Behavioral Health Services Program – $15 million – This program will improve access to timely, culturally appropriate, evidence-based maternal mental health and substance use treatment. Specifically, the program will strengthen community referral pathways and provide seamless transitions of care for pregnant women who are at risk for or currently have behavioral health conditions during the perinatal and postpartum periods.
- Women’s Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Center – $12.5 million – This program will strengthen the capacity of women’s behavioral health service providers and general health service providers. SAMHSA is partnering with care providers and others involved in the comprehensive care of women to address the diverse needs of women who have or are at risk for mental and substance use disorders. The program is expected to identify and improve the implementation of evidence-based practices in women’s behavioral health across the lifespan through the provision of training and technical assistance to providers, including individual consultations, targeted technical assistance and coaching, learning communities, and online educational materials. With this program, SAMHSA aims to fill a critical gap in the field regarding provider knowledge and capacity to treat women’s mental and substance use disorders across the nation.
These funding opportunities will advance women’s behavioral health nationwide, and today’s announcement, in conjunction with other HHS program efforts, represents a historic investment in addressing mental health and substance use needs across America.
If you or someone you know is suffering or in crisis, help is available: call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To learn how to get help for mental health, drug and alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov. When you’re ready to find a treatment facility or provider, go directly to FindTreatment.gov or call 800-662-HELP (4357).
Journalists with questions should contact: media@samhsa.hhs.gov.
