HHS Announces $3 Billion for SAMHSA Block Grants, Creates BH Coordinating Council

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced two key initiatives to address the addiction and mental health crisis in the U.S.

First, through the American Rescue Plan, SAMHSA is distributing a record-setting $3 billion in funding for mental health and substance use block grant programs. Second, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the formation of a Behavioral Health Coordinating Council, which will facilitate approaches to addressing the HHS behavioral health agenda.

The moves by HHS come a week after a report published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) showed a significant decline services for mental health and substance use disorders among Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries since April 2020. Specifically, CMS reported a 22% drop (12 million) in mental health services for adults ages 19-64 from March through October 2020 compared to the same period a year prior and a 13% decline (3.6 million) in SUD services.

The $3 billion in funding will be dispersed through two grant programs. The Community Mental Health Services Block Grant Program (MHBG) and the Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program (SABG) each will distribute $1.5 billion to states and territories, with SABG also responsible for awarding money to tribes.

MHBG will enable states and territories to provide community mental health services and address needs and gaps in existing services for individuals with severe mental health conditions. SABG funds, meanwhile, will be used by states and territories “to plan, implement and evaluate activities to prevent, treat and help more people recover from substance use disorder,” HHS said in a release. SABG funds will be applied to investments in existing prevention, treatment and recovery infrastructure, as well as promoting support for providers and addressing local needs related to the delivery of SUD treatment services.

The new council announced by Becerra will be led by the assistant secretary for mental health and substance use and the assistant secretary for health, with additional involvement from senior leadership across HHS.

Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, MD, said in the news release that the formation of the Behavioral Health Coordinating Council “will assure the right prioritization and guidelines are in place to provide pathways to prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery services.” Acting Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Tom Coderre added that the establishment of the council creates “a critical tool in addressing [mental and substance use disorders] in a collaborative and strategic way.”