Opportunity Information: Apply for SM 15 012
Apply for SM 15 012
- The Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Adminis. in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Now is the Time Project AWARE Community" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.243 Substance Abuse and Mental Health ServicesProjects of Regional and National Significance.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 2, 2015 and posted on Mar 2, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 1, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $8,611,576.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $125,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 70 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligible applicants are domestic public and private nonprofit entities. For example State and local governments Federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes and tribal organizations Urban Indian organizations Public or private universities and colleges and Non profit community and faith based organizations Tribal organization means the recognized body of any AI/AN tribe any legally established organization of American Indians/Alaska Natives which is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by such governing body or which is democratically elected by the adult members of the Indian community to be served by such organization and which includes the maximum participation of American Indians/Alaska Natives in all phases of its activities. Consortia of tribes or tribal organizations are eligible to apply, but each participating entity must indicate its approval. Local education agencies who have received grant funding under either Project AWARE LEA or Project AWARE SEA are not eligible to apply for NITT AWARE C funding. State educational agencies who have received funding under Project AWARE SEA are also not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity. These entities are already receiving funding for these activities and are therefore not eligible to apply.
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Opportunity Summary:
The FY 2015 "Now is the Time - Project AWARE Community" (often shortened to NITT AWARE C) grant opportunity, offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the Center for Mental Health Services, is designed to help communities build practical, front-line capacity to recognize and respond to youth mental health needs. The central goal is to fund the expansion of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training beyond schools alone and into the broader community. Rather than limiting training to educators, the program emphasizes preparing a wide mix of adults who regularly interact with young people, including teachers, parents and caregivers, law enforcement, faith-based leaders, and other youth-serving staff and volunteers. By increasing the number of trained "first aiders" across a community, SAMHSA expects communities to strengthen early identification of mental health concerns, improve supportive responses, and increase timely referral to appropriate services.
The rationale for the program is grounded in the reality that youth mental health conditions are common and often go unaddressed. The opportunity highlights that just over 20 percent of children experience a serious mental disorder at some point in their lives, and that youth involved in juvenile justice systems face especially high levels of mental health need (with a large majority having at least one mental health condition, and a significant portion living with severe mental illness). Even when services exist, young people may not receive help because adults fail to recognize warning signs, stigma or fear of discrimination discourages help-seeking, or community resources are limited. Adolescents and young adults are particularly dependent on adults to notice emerging problems, offer initial support, and connect them to care. The grant frames MHFA and YMHFA as practical, evidence-informed approaches to improving "mental health literacy" across the adults who surround youth, which can help reduce risks and improve outcomes when paired with coordinated community action.
A key feature of NITT AWARE C is its community-wide emphasis and its focus on coordinated systems change, not just isolated trainings. The program aims to create broader impact by training diverse groups of adults who reach youth in many different settings, so that knowledge and consistent response practices spread across schools, community programs, and local institutions. The funding announcement defines the primary youth populations as adolescents ages 12 to 18, and "transition-aged youth" as ages 16 to 24, reflecting the importance of supporting both middle and high school ages and the period of transition into adulthood. SAMHSA also notes that MHFA or YMHFA is most impactful when integrated into a coordinated community plan that addresses strategic and system-wide change intended to improve youth outcomes, meaning applicants are expected to think beyond one-off workshops and toward a structured approach that aligns partners, policies, and referral pathways.
This opportunity ties directly to the broader national "Now is the Time" initiative announced in January 2013, which combined executive actions and proposed legislative steps to expand access to mental health services. Within SAMHSA, the grant aligns with the agency's strategic initiative focused on preventing substance abuse and mental illness by supporting communities where individuals, families, schools, and community organizations actively promote emotional well-being and reduce the likelihood of mental and substance use disorders. The grant is authorized under Section 520A of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, and it also connects to Healthy People 2020 goals in the Mental Health and Mental Disorders topic area.
In terms of funding details, this was a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number SM-15-012) in the health category. SAMHSA anticipated up to 70 awards, with an estimated total funding amount of $8,611,576 and an award ceiling of $125,000. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The original and final application due date listed was May 1, 2015 (with posting and creation dated March 2, 2015, and an archive date of May 31, 2015). The CFDA number associated with the program is 93.243, which covers SAMHSA "Projects of Regional and National Significance."
Eligibility was limited to domestic public and private nonprofit entities, with examples including state and local governments; federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native tribes and tribal organizations; urban Indian organizations; public or private universities and colleges; and nonprofit community-based and faith-based organizations. Consortia of tribes or tribal organizations could apply, but each participating entity had to document approval. At the same time, the opportunity excluded certain education agencies that were already funded under related Project AWARE programs: local education agencies that had received funding under Project AWARE LEA or Project AWARE SEA, and state educational agencies that had received funding under Project AWARE SEA, were not eligible for NITT AWARE C because they were already receiving support for similar activities.
Overall, the NITT AWARE C grant can be understood as a community capacity-building program: it funds the expansion of MHFA and YMHFA training to a wide network of youth-serving adults, with the intention of increasing mental health literacy, reducing missed opportunities to identify and assist youth in distress, and improving connections to care through coordinated, community-wide planning. For administrative questions, the listing provides a SAMHSA grants management contact (Gwendolyn Simpson) at the Office of Financial Resources, Division of Grants Management, with phone and email contact information for applicants needing help accessing the full announcement.
FY 2015 Now is the Time - Project AWARE Community (NITT AWARE C) FAQs
1) What is the FY 2015 "Now is the Time - Project AWARE Community" (NITT AWARE C) grant?
NITT AWARE C is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), within the Center for Mental Health Services. It is designed to help communities build practical, front-line capacity to recognize and respond to youth mental health needs by expanding Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training across the broader community.
2) What is the main purpose of this program?
The central purpose is to fund the expansion of MHFA and YMHFA training beyond schools alone and into the wider community, so that more adults who regularly interact with young people can identify concerns earlier, respond supportively, and connect youth to appropriate services through timely referrals.
3) Which federal agency and SAMHSA center administer this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by SAMHSA, within the Center for Mental Health Services.
4) What types of training does the grant support?
The grant focuses on expanding two specific trainings: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA). These are described as practical, evidence-informed approaches intended to improve mental health literacy among adults who surround and support youth.
5) Is the program limited to training school staff?
No. A core feature of NITT AWARE C is that training is intended to extend beyond educators and schools and reach a broad mix of adults across the community.
6) Who are examples of the adults the program aims to train?
The program emphasizes preparing adults who routinely interact with young people, including teachers, parents and caregivers, law enforcement, faith-based leaders, and other youth-serving staff and volunteers.
7) What outcomes does SAMHSA expect communities to strengthen through this program?
By increasing the number of trained "first aiders" in a community, SAMHSA expects improved early identification of mental health concerns, more supportive responses when issues arise, and more timely referrals to appropriate services.
8) Why does SAMHSA emphasize youth mental health capacity building in this announcement?
The announcement highlights that youth mental health conditions are common and often go unaddressed. It notes that just over 20 percent of children experience a serious mental disorder at some point, and that youth involved in juvenile justice systems have especially high levels of mental health needs.
9) What barriers to youth getting help are described in the opportunity?
The opportunity notes that even when services exist, young people may not receive help because adults fail to recognize warning signs, stigma or fear of discrimination discourages help-seeking, or community resources are limited.
10) What age groups are considered the primary youth populations for this program?
The funding announcement identifies adolescents ages 12 to 18 as a primary population. It also defines "transition-aged youth" as ages 16 to 24.
11) What does "transition-aged youth" mean in this grant?
In this opportunity, "transition-aged youth" refers to young people ages 16 to 24, reflecting the importance of supporting youth during the transition into adulthood.
12) Does the grant focus only on holding trainings, or is it broader than that?
It is broader than isolated trainings. A key feature is a community-wide emphasis and a focus on coordinated systems change, meaning applicants are expected to think beyond one-off workshops and pursue a structured, coordinated approach.
13) What does SAMHSA mean by a "coordinated community plan" in this context?
The announcement states that MHFA or YMHFA is most impactful when integrated into a coordinated community plan that addresses strategic and system-wide change intended to improve youth outcomes. This implies alignment across partners, policies, and referral pathways rather than stand-alone activities.
14) How does this opportunity relate to the national "Now is the Time" initiative?
The grant ties directly to the broader national "Now is the Time" initiative announced in January 2013, which combined executive actions and proposed legislative steps to expand access to mental health services.
15) How does the grant align with SAMHSA's broader goals?
Within SAMHSA, the grant aligns with the agency's strategic initiative focused on preventing substance abuse and mental illness by supporting communities where individuals, families, schools, and community organizations promote emotional well-being and reduce the likelihood of mental and substance use disorders.
16) What legal authority is cited for this grant program?
The opportunity is authorized under Section 520A of the Public Health Service Act, as amended.
17) Does the opportunity connect to Healthy People 2020?
Yes. The announcement notes a connection to Healthy People 2020 goals in the Mental Health and Mental Disorders topic area.
18) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SM-15-012.
19) What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The CFDA number listed is 93.243, which covers SAMHSA "Projects of Regional and National Significance."
20) What type of grant is this and what category is it listed under?
This was a discretionary grant opportunity in the health category.
21) How many awards did SAMHSA anticipate making?
SAMHSA anticipated up to 70 awards.
22) What was the estimated total funding amount for the opportunity?
The estimated total program funding amount was $8,611,576.
23) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed was $125,000.
24) Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement states there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
25) When was the application due date?
The original and final application due date listed was May 1, 2015.
26) When was the opportunity posted and when was it archived?
The posting and creation date listed was March 2, 2015, and the archive date was May 31, 2015.
27) Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to domestic public and private nonprofit entities. Examples provided include state and local governments; federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native tribes and tribal organizations; urban Indian organizations; public or private universities and colleges; and nonprofit community-based and faith-based organizations.
28) Are tribal consortia allowed to apply?
Yes. Consortia of tribes or tribal organizations could apply, but each participating entity had to document approval.
29) Were any entities specifically excluded from eligibility?
Yes. The opportunity excluded certain education agencies that were already funded under related Project AWARE programs. Local education agencies (LEAs) that had received funding under Project AWARE LEA or Project AWARE SEA, and state educational agencies (SEAs) that had received funding under Project AWARE SEA, were not eligible for NITT AWARE C.
30) Why were certain LEAs and SEAs not eligible?
The announcement states they were not eligible because they were already receiving support for similar activities under related Project AWARE programs.
31) What is the overall approach of the NITT AWARE C grant as described in the listing?
It is described as a community capacity-building program that funds expanded MHFA and YMHFA training for a wide network of youth-serving adults, with the intention of increasing mental health literacy, reducing missed opportunities to identify and assist youth in distress, and improving connections to care through coordinated community-wide planning.
32) Who is listed as the administrative contact for grants management questions?
The listing provides a SAMHSA grants management contact: Gwendolyn Simpson, Office of Financial Resources, Division of Grants Management.
33) What kind of help is the grants management contact intended to provide?
The contact is listed for applicants needing help accessing the full announcement and for administrative questions related to grants management.
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