Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Program

The Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention program is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This funding opportunity is designed to support statewide and tribal efforts to address youth suicide, a significant public health concern across the United States. The program is authorized under Section 520E of the Public Health Service Act and reflects federal priorities around mental health, crisis response, and early intervention for individuals up to age 24. SAMHSA’s role includes not only funding but also active involvement through cooperative agreement oversight, technical assistance, and performance monitoring. The primary purpose of this program is to strengthen youth suicide prevention and early intervention systems through capacity building and coordinated service delivery. Applicants are expected to implement comprehensive strategies that include suicide risk screening across multiple youth-serving systems such as schools, juvenile justice, foster care, and healthcare settings. Additional required activities include developing response protocols, strengthening community-based prevention efforts, providing training to staff and stakeholders, and delivering supportive resources to families. The program emphasizes early identification, referral pathways, care coordination, and continuity of care rather than long-term direct clinical treatment services. Funding under this opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement with an estimated total program funding of over fifteen million dollars and approximately twenty-one awards anticipated. Each award may provide up to seven hundred thirty-five thousand dollars annually for a project period of up to five years. Funding is contingent on annual performance, compliance, and availability of federal funds. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement for applicants. However, strict funding limitations apply, including requirements that at least eighty-five percent of funds support youth suicide prevention activities and prohibitions on certain uses such as ongoing direct clinical services, food expenses, and activities inconsistent with federal policy priorities. Eligibility for this program is limited by statute to specific entities. Eligible applicants include states, territories, federally recognized tribes, tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, and public or private nonprofit organizations designated by a state or tribe to lead statewide or tribal suicide prevention efforts. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to implement system-level interventions and coordinate across multiple sectors. Certain organizations previously funded under related programs are explicitly excluded from eligibility. The program requires collaboration with tribal entities where applicable and mandates compliance with federal, state, and tribal laws regarding privacy, consent, and data collection. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and eRA Commons, with prior registration in SAM.gov. Applications must include a project narrative, budget narrative, and multiple attachments such as letters of commitment, timelines, and documentation of nonprofit status or designation. The project narrative is limited to twelve pages and must address evaluation criteria including population need, implementation approach, organizational capacity, and data collection plans. Reviewers assess applications based on these criteria through a merit review process, followed by final funding decisions that consider alignment with agency priorities and availability of funds. Applications are due by June 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Awards are expected to be issued by September 1, 2026, with project start dates anticipated for September 30, 2026. The program includes ongoing reporting and evaluation requirements, including quarterly data reporting and annual progress reports. Recipients must participate in technical assistance activities and attend required meetings during the project period. SAMHSA provides program oversight and collaborates with recipients to ensure successful implementation and dissemination of results.

Align closely with required activities and SAMHSA priorities; demonstrate measurable outcomes and strong cross-system coordination; ensure compliance with funding restrictions and data reporting requirements