Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness

The Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Program for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness is a federal grant initiative managed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which operates under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA plays a central role in improving the behavioral health of the U.S. population, focusing on reducing the impact of substance abuse and mental illness. This grant program aligns with SAMHSA’s mission to provide effective mental health services and to improve outcomes for individuals living with serious mental illnesses (SMI). This forecasted opportunity (SM-25-011) supports the creation and evaluation of new AOT programs. These programs aim to reduce adverse outcomes commonly associated with untreated SMI, such as psychiatric hospitalizations, homelessness, incarcerations, and interactions with the criminal justice system. The initiative emphasizes the use of evidence-based practices and seeks to improve both the health and social outcomes of affected individuals. Funding under this grant is intended to support system-level interventions and coordinated care mechanisms that respect individual rights while addressing public safety and treatment compliance. Eligibility for this grant is statutorily restricted. Eligible applicants include states, counties, cities, mental health systems (including state mental health authorities), mental health courts, and other entities authorized by state law to implement, monitor, and oversee AOT programs. This ensures that the programs are overseen by organizations with the legal authority and structural capacity to carry out mandatory outpatient treatment orders within their jurisdictions. As this is a forecasted grant, the estimated post date for the official application is April 15, 2025. No specific application due date, award date, or project start date is provided at this stage. There is no pre-application requirement such as a Letter of Intent or concept paper indicated in the forecast materials. Interested applicants should monitor the official listings for updates once the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is released. Given the grant's recurring nature, with previous versions issued annually, future opportunities can be anticipated on a similar annual cycle. The grant will provide approximately $7.25 million in total program funding, with an estimated 14 awards. While an award floor is noted as $0 in the source, this should be interpreted as missing data until more details are released in the official NOFO. There is no matching or cost-sharing requirement, making it more accessible to eligible public institutions and authorities. The assistance listing number for this program is 93.997, which aligns with SAMHSA's focus on mental health systems. For questions regarding this grant, applicants may contact Lorie Lopez at (240) 276-2595 or via email at lorie.lopez@samhsa.hhs.gov. No PDF guidelines or downloadable NOFO document was available at the time of forecast publication. Applicants are encouraged to check the Grants.gov portal regularly for updates, including official application instructions and deadlines once they become available.