FY2026 Support for 988 Tribal Response Cooperative Agreements

The Support for 988 Tribal Response Cooperative Agreements is a forecasted federal funding opportunity administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program is associated with Assistance Listing 93.00R under the 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Services Programs. This funding opportunity is intended to strengthen and improve behavioral health crisis response systems serving Tribal communities and American Indian and Alaska Native populations. Specifically, the program seeks to improve connection and response to 988 contacts, including calls, chats, and text messages, that originate in Tribal communities or are initiated by American Indians or Alaska Natives. The opportunity reflects ongoing federal efforts to expand culturally responsive crisis care infrastructure and ensure equitable access to emergency behavioral health services across underserved populations. The forecasted program is structured as a cooperative agreement, which indicates substantial federal involvement in project implementation, oversight, technical assistance, or coordination activities during the award period. The funding opportunity falls under the Health category and is expected to distribute approximately 20 awards nationwide. The estimated total program funding is $20,000,000. While the award ceiling and award floor have not yet been published, the anticipated funding structure suggests that multiple Tribal entities and Tribal-serving organizations will receive support to develop or strengthen systems capable of effectively responding to 988 behavioral health crisis communications. The funding is expected to support activities related to crisis system coordination, staffing, culturally appropriate response mechanisms, communication systems, behavioral health outreach, and related crisis service infrastructure that aligns with the objectives of the national 988 system. Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to federally recognized Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian Organizations. The notice specifically states that Tribes and Tribal organizations may apply individually or as part of a consortium arrangement. Eligible applicants include Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized, Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments, and other Tribal-serving entities identified through the additional eligibility language. The funding opportunity is national in scope because no state or regional restrictions are listed, and the eligible entities may be located anywhere within the United States provided they meet the Tribal eligibility requirements outlined by the agency. Cost sharing or matching is not required for this opportunity, which may reduce barriers to participation for smaller or resource-constrained Tribal organizations. The opportunity is currently classified as a forecasted grant notice on Grants.gov. The forecasted date listed for the opportunity is December 29, 2025, while the estimated posting date is May 29, 2026. As of the latest update on May 12, 2026, the agency has not yet published a final application due date, estimated award date, or project start date. Because the opportunity has not officially opened for applications, applicants should monitor Grants.gov and SAMHSA communications for release of the full notice of funding opportunity, application instructions, required forms, evaluation criteria, and submission procedures. No pre-application requirement, letter of intent, or concept paper requirement has been identified in the forecast notice currently available. Although the full application package has not yet been released, applicants should expect standard federal discretionary grant application requirements consistent with SAMHSA cooperative agreements. These commonly include organizational capability narratives, project descriptions, implementation plans, staffing plans, budgets and budget justifications, evidence of Tribal authorization or eligibility, and federal forms required through Grants.gov. Submission mechanics will likely require registration in SAM.gov and Grants.gov prior to application submission. The final notice is expected to provide details regarding allowable and unallowable costs, performance expectations, reporting obligations, and evaluation standards related to improving Tribal behavioral health crisis response systems connected to the national 988 infrastructure. The primary contact listed for the opportunity is James Wright of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Interested applicants may contact him at james.wright@samhsa.hhs.gov or by phone at (240) 276-1615 for questions regarding the forecasted opportunity. Because this is a recurring federal behavioral health funding initiative tied to ongoing 988 implementation efforts, future annual or recurring funding cycles may be possible, although the current notice does not explicitly confirm recurrence. Organizations interested in applying should begin preparing internal planning materials, Tribal coordination processes, and behavioral health crisis response strategies in advance of the official notice release anticipated in May 2026.

Emphasize culturally responsive behavioral health crisis response systems that improve Tribal community connections to 988 services.