Building Communities of Recovery

The Building Communities of Recovery program is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA is responsible for advancing behavioral health across the nation, including prevention, treatment, and recovery support for substance use and mental health conditions. This opportunity is listed under the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Projects of Regional and National Significance and reflects SAMHSA’s broader mission to strengthen community-based systems that support long-term recovery outcomes. The primary purpose of this grant program is to support organizations in mobilizing and connecting community resources in order to expand access to long-term recovery support services. The program specifically targets individuals with substance use disorders and those with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. By emphasizing recovery-oriented systems of care, the initiative aims to strengthen networks that help individuals sustain recovery, improve quality of life, and reintegrate into their communities. Funding under this opportunity is expected to be used to build and enhance recovery support infrastructure at the community level. This includes activities such as outreach, peer support services, recovery housing coordination, employment and education linkages, and other non-clinical services that contribute to sustained recovery. The program focuses on coordination rather than direct clinical treatment, encouraging grantees to leverage partnerships and existing resources to maximize impact. A cost sharing or matching requirement is indicated, meaning applicants must contribute non-federal resources in support of the project, though the exact ratio is not specified in the forecast. Eligibility for this program is statutorily limited to Recovery Community Organizations. These organizations are typically nonprofit entities led and governed by individuals in recovery and are focused on providing peer-based recovery support services. This restriction narrows the applicant pool significantly and ensures that funded entities have direct lived experience and strong community ties within recovery populations. Other types of organizations are not eligible unless they meet the definition and statutory requirements of a Recovery Community Organization. The application process is expected to follow standard federal grant submission procedures through Grants.gov once the opportunity is officially posted. While the forecast does not yet provide detailed submission requirements, applicants should anticipate preparing a comprehensive application package including project narratives, budget justifications, and organizational capacity documentation. SAMHSA typically evaluates applications based on criteria such as need, proposed approach, organizational experience, and expected outcomes, though specific evaluation metrics will be confirmed in the full notice of funding opportunity. This opportunity is currently in forecast status, with an estimated posting date of May 29, 2026. No application deadline, award date, or project start date has yet been published. The total estimated program funding is $9,300,000, with approximately 27 awards anticipated. Interested applicants should monitor Grants.gov for the official release and prepare in advance by ensuring registrations and required documentation are in place. For additional information, SAMHSA provides a contact person, Jihane Ambroise, who can be reached by phone or email for inquiries related to the program.