Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $200 Million To Support Youth Mental Health

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Announces $206 Million in Grants for Youth Mental Health

Builds on unprecedented investment through President Biden’s Unity Agenda to tackle the mental health crisis and support community-based behavioral health care and treatment.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), has announced $206 million in grant awards towards youth mental health. These grants align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, with a specific focus on Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being.

Expanding Access to Mental Health Services

• SAMHSA is awarding $131.7 million in grant programs that connect youth and families to behavioral health services.
• HRSA is awarding $55 million to expand access to mental health care for young people, including access to mental health care in schools.
• ACF is awarding $20 million to improve the quality of mental health services provided to children involved in the child welfare system.
• New Medicaid funding will help expand access to health services, including mental health services, for eligible children in schools.

These awards represent a significant step towards achieving the SDGs by addressing the mental health crisis and transforming how mental health is understood, accessed, treated, and integrated in and out of health care settings.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is deeply committed to tackling the mental health crisis facing America, particularly among our young people. Expanding mental health care services to ensure that everyone who needs help can access care when and where they seek it is a key element of President Biden’s Unity Agenda,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “We are transforming mental health and substance use treatment across the country by providing equitable access to services for all Americans. These tools and resources will help families struggling to meet the mental health care needs of their children.”

Recent data confirms that young people need more support to address their mental health and substance use disorder challenges. The most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that nearly three in five U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021 – representing a nearly 60% increase over the past decade. It also found that 22% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide during the past year.

“These awards reflect the extraordinary commitment of the Biden-Harris Administration to addressing youth mental health,” said Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm. “The tools and resources that we are providing will help children who are struggling by meeting them and their families where they are, and ensuring there is no wrong door to behavioral health care.”

Grant Details

SAMHSA: $131.7 Million to Support At-risk Youth and Families

• $5.7 million for Planning and Developing Infrastructure to Promote the Mental Health of Children, Youth and Families in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Communities
• $5.5 million for Cooperative Agreements for School-Based Trauma-Informed Support Services and Mental Health Care for Children and Youth
• $2.4 million for Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health (Project LAUNCH)
• $16.4 million for Healthy Transitions: Improving Life Trajectories for Youth and Young Adults with Serious Mental Disorders Program
• $41.2 million for Grants to Expand Substance Abuse Treatment Capacity in Adult and Family Treatment Drug Courts
• $48.3 million for Grants for Expansion and Sustainability of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children with Serious Emotional Disturbances (System of Care SOC Expansion and Sustainability)
• $1.8 million for Preventing Youth Overdose: Treatment, Recovery, Education, Awareness and Training
• $8.7 million for Behavioral Health Partnership for Early Diversion of Adults and Youth
• $1.7 million for Family Counseling and Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex+ Youth and Their Families

HRSA: $55 Million for Expanding Access to Youth Mental Health Care

• $25 million to 77 HRSA-funded health centers to create new and expand existing school-based health centers
• $19 million to 25 states and territories to train pediatricians in mental health care and provide real-time teleconsultation for pediatricians to get expert support from psychiatrists and other mental health providers to help them care for their patients’ mental health needs
• $11 million to 23 organizations to train more behavioral health providers focused on serving children, adolescents, and young adults in underserved and rural areas

ACF: $20 Million to Launch First National Center to Support Mental Health Services in the Child Welfare System

• $20 million to the National Center to Support Mental Health Services in the Child Welfare System to provide technical assistance and evidence-informed training to strengthen coordination and capacity among child welfare and mental health professionals and systems to improve the quality of mental health services they provide to children, young adults, and their families who are involved in the child welfare system and who have experienced adoption

Expanding School-Based Health Services

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

To learn how to get support for mental health, drug, and alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov.

Anyone seeking treatment for mental health or substance use issues should call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357) or visit findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

For more information on ACF’s behavioral health initiatives and resources, please visit: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/behavioral-health.

Reporters with questions for SAMHSA should email media@sam

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
• SDG 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the following indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Indicator 3.4.1: Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease.
• Indicator 4.7.1: Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.
• Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and disability.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: hhs.gov

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