Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health

The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health is a forecasted federal grant opportunity administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The opportunity number is HRSA-27-043, and the Assistance Listing is 93.690, Rural Communities Opioid Response Programs. The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant within the Health funding activity category. The forecast was issued on August 21, 2026, for fiscal year 2027. Because this opportunity is currently a forecast rather than a posted notice of funding opportunity, the available information describes the anticipated program and application timeline but does not yet provide a complete application package or detailed review criteria. The purpose of the RCORP-Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Program is to provide funding to rural communities to establish and expand behavioral health care services for rural children and adolescents. The program expressly includes both mental health and substance use disorder services within its behavioral health scope. Program-supported services and activities may only support HRSA-designated rural counties and rural census tracts. The forecast does not provide more detailed allowable or prohibited cost categories, indirect cost restrictions, subaward limitations, or other spending rules. Those details may become available when the full opportunity is posted. HRSA anticipates approximately $9,000,000 in total program funding and expects to make nine awards. The stated award ceiling is $1,000,000. Grants.gov displays an award floor of $0; because zero does not constitute a meaningful minimum award amount, a usable award floor is not established by the source and should be treated as unreported pending the full notice. No cost sharing or matching is required. The forecast does not state a period of performance or specify whether the $1,000,000 ceiling represents an annual amount or a total project-period amount, so those details require verification after publication of the full funding notice. Eligible applicants are broadly defined. A domestic public or private, nonprofit or for-profit entity may apply. Listed applicant types include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status other than institutions of higher education, small businesses, and other for-profit organizations. Domestic entities may be located in the 50 states, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau. Regardless of applicant location, funded services and activities are geographically restricted to HRSA-designated rural counties and rural census tracts. The opportunity is forecasted to be posted on January 22, 2027, which is used as the anticipated application opening date based on the information currently available. Applications are estimated to be due March 23, 2027. Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on that date. No letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, notice of intent, or other pre-application gating requirement is identified in the forecast. The source also does not yet identify specific application questions, required proposal attachments, narrative sections, evaluation criteria, scoring weights, or other application components. Applicants should therefore rely on the full notice and application package once posted for final submission requirements. The estimated award date is August 1, 2027, and the estimated project start date is September 1, 2027. The forecast lists an archive date of April 22, 2027. No annual, biennial, quarterly, or other recurring application schedule is stated, so this opportunity is not treated as recurring based on the available source. Questions may be directed to Lynlee Tanner Stapleton at 301-443-5764 or ruralopioidresponse@hrsa.gov. The forecast also provides HRSA's Rural Communities Opioid Response Program webpage for additional program information. All dates, award information, application requirements, and program details remain subject to the final funding notice because the current Grants.gov record is explicitly a forecasted opportunity.

Align proposed services with the program purpose of establishing or expanding behavioral health care, including mental health and substance use disorder services, for rural children and adolescents; ensure supported services and activities are limited to HRSA-designated rural counties and rural census tracts; submit electronically by the stated deadline.