Tribal Behavioral Health: Suicide Prevention

The Tribal Behavioral Health: Suicide Prevention 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 nationwide through grantmaking, policy development, and technical assistance. This funding opportunity is part of a broader federal initiative to address mental health disparities and improve outcomes among underserved populations, particularly American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The program aligns with SAMHSA’s strategic priorities, including improving access to evidence-based care and supporting community-driven health solutions. The primary purpose of this grant program is to prevent suicide, suicide attempts, and deaths by suicide among American Indian and Alaska Native youth and young adults through age 24. The program emphasizes community-wide prevention approaches that incorporate Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices, and traditional healing methods. Applicants are expected to build systems of care that strengthen protective factors and reduce risk factors through coordinated partnerships, culturally relevant programming, and community engagement. The initiative also seeks to reduce the broader impacts of trauma and improve overall behavioral health outcomes in tribal communities. Funding is structured as discretionary grants with an estimated total program funding of over fifteen million dollars, supporting approximately forty-four awards. Each award may provide up to three hundred fifty thousand dollars per year for a project period of up to five years. Funds are primarily intended for capacity building and implementation of suicide prevention strategies, including community assessments, strategic planning, and culturally grounded interventions. Allowable uses include training, outreach, telehealth expansion, and prevention education, while certain activities such as harm reduction initiatives or activities that conflict with federal policy restrictions are explicitly prohibited. Cost sharing is not required for this program. Eligible applicants are limited to federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes, tribal organizations, Urban Indian Organizations, and consortia of such entities. Additional eligibility restrictions apply, including exclusion of organizations that received funding under specific prior Tribal Behavioral Health grant cycles. Applicants must demonstrate the capacity to implement comprehensive prevention strategies and engage community stakeholders, including youth participants. The program requires the designation of key personnel, including a Project Director who must dedicate at least fifty percent effort to overseeing implementation and compliance. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov or eRA Commons and includes several required components such as a project abstract, a detailed project narrative, and a budget narrative, along with supporting attachments like a project timeline, biographical sketches, and data collection plans. Applicants must also register with federal systems including SAM.gov and maintain active registrations throughout the application and award period. The review process includes initial screening for eligibility and completeness, followed by a merit-based evaluation focusing on need, implementation approach, organizational capacity, and data collection strategies. Applications are due by July 16, 2026, with awards expected to be issued by September 1, 2026, and project activities beginning by September 30, 2026. The performance period may extend up to five years, contingent on continued funding availability and satisfactory progress. Recipients are required to submit regular performance and financial reports, including annual progress reports and a final cumulative report. Throughout the project, recipients must participate in technical assistance activities and adhere to federal regulations, reporting requirements, and programmatic expectations to ensure accountability and measurable impact.

Ensure strong alignment with community needs and SAMHSA priorities; demonstrate measurable outcomes; incorporate Indigenous cultural practices; clearly define implementation plan and partnerships; meet all formatting and submission requirements