Statewide Family Network

The Statewide Family Network Program is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This federal funding opportunity is designed to strengthen the role of family-controlled mental health organizations across states and territories. The program is authorized under Section 520A of the Public Health Service Act and reflects SAMHSA’s broader strategic priorities focused on improving behavioral health systems, increasing access to services, and supporting families and caregivers of youth with serious emotional disturbance or co-occurring disorders. The primary purpose of this grant is to enhance the capacity of statewide family-controlled organizations to provide advocacy, training, and mentorship to family members and primary caregivers. These caregivers are responsible for children, youth, and young adults with significant behavioral health needs. The program emphasizes building organizational capacity to deliver services such as family advocacy, coaching, outreach, and education while also promoting caregiver empowerment and leadership development. Recipients are expected to help families navigate complex systems including mental health, child welfare, education, and juvenile justice systems. Funding supports a range of required activities that focus on strengthening service delivery and engagement. These include providing direct advocacy and support to caregivers, delivering training to families and youth-serving systems, conducting outreach and education efforts, and building partnerships with community-based organizations and state agencies. Additional requirements include participation in statewide peer support system development and contributing expertise to policy and workforce discussions. Funds are primarily intended for capacity building rather than direct service expansion, and all required activities must begin within six months of award. The program offers an estimated total funding pool of 1853477 dollars, with approximately 12 awards anticipated. Each award may provide up to 150000 dollars per year for a project period of up to three years, contingent on continued funding availability and performance. While cost sharing is not required, applicants must adhere to strict funding restrictions, including prohibitions on certain activities and limitations on allowable expenses such as food costs. Applicants must also comply with federal regulations, SAMHSA priorities, and reporting requirements throughout the project lifecycle. Eligibility is limited to domestic public and private nonprofit entities, including states, territories, tribal organizations, political subdivisions, and nonprofit organizations, including faith-based entities. A key requirement is that the applying organization must be family-controlled, meaning that more than 50 percent of its board of directors consists of family members or caregivers with lived experience. Applicants must provide documentation of nonprofit status and a certification of board composition as part of the application. Additionally, only one award is made per state or territory where no current award exists, and certain states are ineligible due to prior funding. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov or eRA Commons and includes several components such as a project abstract, project narrative, budget narrative, and multiple required attachments. The project narrative must address evaluation criteria including need, implementation approach, organizational capacity, and data collection plans. Applications undergo initial screening followed by merit review, with final funding decisions based on review scores, alignment with priorities, and availability of funds. The application deadline is July 27, 2026, with awards expected by September 1, 2026 and project start dates around September 30, 2026. Post-award, recipients must comply with reporting and performance measurement requirements, including quarterly data collection and annual progress reports. Participation in technical assistance and grant meetings is also required. The program emphasizes accountability, evidence-based practices, and continuous improvement to ensure that funded organizations effectively support families and improve outcomes for youth with behavioral health challenges.

Ensure strict alignment with SAMHSA strategic priorities; clearly demonstrate capacity building impact; include required board certification and complete all attachments; align objectives with measurable outcomes