Cooperative Agreements for Tribal Behavioral Health | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Cooperative Agreements for Tribal Behavioral Health opportunity, also known by its short title "Native Connections," is a federal grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Within SAMHSA, the program is jointly supported by the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). It was released as a fiscal year 2016 discretionary funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SM-16-010) using a cooperative agreement funding instrument, which typically means awardees should expect an active partnership with the federal agency during implementation rather than a fully hands-off grant structure.

The central purpose of Native Connections is to improve behavioral health outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth and young adults, specifically those up to and including age 24. The program is designed to prevent and reduce suicidal behavior and substance use, lessen the harmful effects of trauma, and promote mental health and wellness in AI/AN communities. The emphasis is not only on responding to crises, but also on prevention and community-driven strategies that strengthen protective factors for young people before problems escalate.

This opportunity aligns with two of SAMHSA's broader strategic initiatives: Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness, and Trauma and Justice. In practical terms, the grant encourages approaches that reduce the impact of mental and substance use disorders while also recognizing how trauma and historical and ongoing adversity can shape behavioral health. A key expectation is that funded communities will build or enhance culturally responsive models, using a public health approach to reduce trauma-related harms and to create systems that can both prevent and respond effectively when youth are at risk.

Another major theme is coordination across local systems that touch the lives of youth and young adults. The program explicitly supports communities in helping young people transition into adulthood by facilitating collaboration among agencies. That can include better alignment between tribal programs, schools, health clinics, behavioral health providers, social services, and other partners, so that young people do not fall through gaps when moving between services or life stages.

Native Connections also directly addresses behavioral health disparities affecting racial and ethnic minorities. The grant calls for strategies that narrow differences in access to care, use of services, and outcomes for the populations served. This focus on disparities is framed as part of SAMHSA's broader equity goals and is tied to guidance referenced in the funding announcement (specifically an appendix on addressing behavioral health disparities). The intention is to support interventions that are not only evidence-informed and community grounded, but also designed to measurably improve fairness and effectiveness in how care and prevention resources reach AI/AN youth.

From an administrative standpoint, the program is authorized under sections 520A and 516 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. It also connects to national public health priorities under Healthy People 2020, particularly the topic areas for Mental Health and Mental Disorders (HP 2020-MHMD) and Substance Abuse (HP 2020-SA). This signals that SAMHSA views the work supported by the grant as part of a broader national effort to reduce mental health and substance use burdens through prevention, early intervention, and systems improvement.

As posted for FY 2016, the opportunity anticipated up to 94 awards, with an award ceiling of $200,000. The posting date was March 30, 2016, and the application closing date was June 2, 2016. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification provided in the full announcement, which is typical for tribal-focused programs where eligibility often includes federally recognized tribes, tribal organizations, and related entities depending on statutory and program rules.

Overall, Native Connections is structured to help AI/AN communities create or strengthen culturally grounded, collaborative, and prevention-oriented behavioral health efforts for youth and young adults, with particular attention to suicide prevention, substance use prevention, trauma impact reduction, and closing inequities in behavioral health access and outcomes.

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