Rapid Response to Recovery Telebehavioral Health Support Program

The Rapid Response to Recovery Telebehavioral Health Support funding opportunity is administered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky under its Rural Health Transformation Program, a large-scale initiative funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This program is designed to improve access to healthcare services across rural communities by investing in infrastructure, workforce, and innovative care delivery models. Within this broader initiative, the Rapid Response to Recovery program specifically focuses on strengthening the behavioral health crisis continuum through coordinated, technology-enabled services that improve stabilization, continuity of care, and long-term recovery outcomes. The telebehavioral health support component aims to expand access to psychiatric consultation, crisis-adjacent behavioral health services, and care coordination through the development of a statewide hub-and-spoke model. In this structure, centralized hub partners provide shared infrastructure such as triage systems, specialty consultation, and data reporting, while regional nonprofit behavioral health organizations act as provider spokes delivering local services and maintaining community connections. The program emphasizes integration with primary care providers, collaboration across system partners, and the use of telehealth technologies to address service gaps in rural and underserved areas. Funding is intended to support readiness and participation in this coordinated system rather than standalone service delivery. Allowable uses include personnel costs for clinical staff such as psychiatrists and licensed clinicians, technology and software needed for telehealth and interoperability, equipment such as laptops or telehealth carts, training related to telebehavioral health workflows, and limited facility modifications necessary for service delivery. Capital construction and supplanting existing funding are explicitly prohibited. Applicants are expected to design budgets that align closely with program activities and demonstrate how funds will expand capacity and improve service integration. Eligible applicants are Medicaid-enrolled nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status that serve Eastern Kentucky and have a demonstrated focus on behavioral health services. These organizations must either already possess or be able to obtain required vendor registrations with state systems. The program encourages collaboration among community partners, including primary care providers, emergency services, and social service organizations, to create a cohesive system of care. Applicants must be prepared to provide supporting documentation shortly after award notification. Applications must be submitted as a complete packet via email to the designated state contact. Required components include organizational information, a detailed narrative addressing multiple programmatic sections such as service delivery, workforce, partnerships, and sustainability, as well as a detailed budget using the provided template. Supporting documents such as letters of support are encouraged. Applications are evaluated based on a structured scoring rubric that assesses clarity, alignment with program goals, feasibility, and readiness to implement services. The application timeline begins with the release of the request for applications on June 1, 2026, with a submission deadline of July 3, 2026 for consideration in the first funding cycle. Awards are expected to be announced by July 10, 2026, with funding beginning on October 1, 2026. The initial funding period runs through September 30, 2027, with the possibility of continuation in subsequent years based on performance and funding availability. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, though submissions after the initial deadline may not be considered for the first funding period. This funding opportunity is part of a multi-year transformation effort extending through 2030, with annual funding tied to performance metrics and system-level outcomes. The program prioritizes projects that demonstrate strong readiness, collaboration, and the ability to implement services quickly. Applicants are expected to participate in ongoing reporting, quality improvement, and sustainability planning to ensure that program benefits extend beyond the initial funding period and contribute to long-term improvements in rural behavioral health systems.

Ensure strong alignment with RRR goals, demonstrate readiness to implement quickly, emphasize partnerships and integration with primary care, and clearly justify budget with measurable outcomes