HHS announces more than $281M to combat addiction, overdose, mental illness

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced July 6 that it is making more than $281 million available across 15 grant programs to combat addiction, overdose, and mental illness and support recovery. 

According to a Health and Human Services (HHS) press release, the funding will advance President Donald Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative — which he established by executive order Jan. 29 — by expanding access to substance use disorder treatment, overdose prevention and response, mental health and suicide prevention services, trauma-informed care, recovery supports, first responder training, and workforce development. 

SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher Carroll said in the release that the funding opportunities reflect the agency’s “commitment to addressing the full continuum of behavioral health needs.”

“By investing in evidence-based programs and community partnerships, we can help save lives, improve outcomes, and strengthen the health and well-being of people across the country,” Carroll said.

In a February press release, HHS cited SAMHSA survey data showing a sharp increase in substance-use disorder among Americans ages 12 and older, rising from 7.4% in 2019 to 16.8% in 2024. The department also said nearly 8 in 10 of those with a substance-use disorder in 2024 did not receive treatment.

The largest allocations include $68.2 million for grants to expand access to medications for opioid use disorder and reduce misuse; $55.7 million to build school-based mental health programs; $40.6 million for National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative treatment centers; $34.7 million to train first responders and communities in overdose reversal medications; $22 million for Mental Health Awareness Training; $13.7 million to integrate primary and behavioral health care; and $11 million for community overdose prevention and response efforts. 

Other grants will support substance-use disorder workforce programs, campus suicide prevention, emergency department alternatives to opioids, assertive community treatment, family networks, recovery services, and education on protected health information related to behavioral health, according to HHS.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in the release that Trump’s initiative is “putting recovery into action” and the new funding opportunities will “equip communities with the tools they need to save lives, restore families, and Make America Healthy Again.”