Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment

The Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment program is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This federal initiative is designed to expand the implementation of a public health model focused on early identification and intervention for substance use disorders. The program emphasizes integration of screening and treatment referral processes into routine healthcare and community-based settings, including primary care clinics, hospitals, schools, and behavioral health centers. The overarching goal is to reduce the negative health and social consequences associated with alcohol and drug use, particularly among youth and young adults. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support organizations in implementing evidence-based SBIRT services targeting individuals aged 12 and older. The program focuses on early detection of substance use, including underage drinking and opioid misuse, and providing timely interventions and referrals to treatment. Applicants are expected to demonstrate the ability to integrate these services into existing workflows and to coordinate care across systems. Special emphasis is placed on serving youth populations and those with complex health conditions, as well as addressing co-occurring mental health disorders and social determinants such as housing instability and access to care. Funding is provided as a grant with an estimated total program allocation of nearly eight million dollars, supporting up to eight awards. Each award may provide up to 995000 dollars annually for a project period of up to five years. Funds are primarily intended to support direct service delivery, including screening, brief intervention, referral to treatment, case management, and wraparound services. Allowable uses also include workforce training, technology integration, and community engagement. However, there are strict limitations on the use of funds, including prohibitions on certain activities such as harm reduction initiatives and specific types of medication purchases. Eligible applicants include states, territories, political subdivisions, tribal organizations, public and private nonprofit entities, and institutions of higher education. Applicants must demonstrate experience, operational capacity, and established partnerships to deliver required services effectively. Additional requirements include submission of letters of commitment from service providers, documentation of nonprofit status if applicable, and compliance with licensing and accreditation standards. Organizations that previously received funding under specific prior SBIRT opportunities are not eligible to apply. The application process requires registration with SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons. Applicants must submit a comprehensive application package that includes a project narrative, budget narrative, and multiple attachments such as letters of commitment, data collection plans, and a quality improvement plan. The project narrative is limited to ten pages and must address specific evaluation criteria including population need, implementation approach, evidence-based practices, organizational capacity, and data collection strategies. Applications are reviewed through a merit-based peer review process and must align with federal priorities and regulations. The application deadline is July 13, 2026, with submissions required by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Notably, the program will only review the first 30 complete and high-quality applications submitted, after which the submission portal will close. Awards are expected to be issued by September 1, 2026, with project activities beginning by September 30, 2026. Recipients are required to begin service delivery within four months of award and must comply with ongoing reporting and performance measurement requirements throughout the project period. For additional information, applicants may contact program staff at SAMHSA via email or phone for questions related to eligibility, budgeting, or application review.

Align closely with SAMHSA strategic priorities; emphasize youth populations and evidence-based practices; ensure readiness to implement within 4 months; submit early due to 30-application cap