Opportunity Information: Apply for SM 23 001
Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The program is focused on helping communities build and maintain a long-term, workable foundation for school-based mental health programs and services. Rather than funding isolated, short-term activities, the core idea is to create a sustainable infrastructure that can keep supporting students over time by strengthening systems, partnerships, and pathways to care.
A central requirement of Project AWARE is collaboration. Grant recipients are expected to form and actively use partnerships that connect education and behavioral health systems. Specifically, SAMHSA emphasizes coordination with State Education Agencies and Local Education Agencies, and where relevant, Tribal Education Agencies. The program also expects strong involvement from the State Mental Health Agency, community-based behavioral health providers, school personnel, community organizations, families, and school-aged youth themselves. This reflects an understanding that schools cannot address student mental health needs alone, and that lasting improvements depend on shared planning, shared responsibilities, and clear referral and service connections across agencies and providers.
Using those partnerships, funded projects are expected to carry out a range of mental health-related activities that span the full continuum of support. This includes promotion and awareness efforts that improve understanding of mental health and reduce stigma; prevention strategies that reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors before problems escalate; intervention activities that identify and respond to emerging or active needs; and resilience-building supports that help students cope with stress and adversity in healthy ways. A key expected outcome is that school-aged youth not only have access to appropriate behavioral health services, but are also effectively connected to them, meaning that referral routes, follow-up, and coordination are strong enough that students actually receive timely, effective care.
SAMHSA ties these goals to broader student well-being and school safety outcomes. Through improving access to effective behavioral health supports and strengthening school-community partnerships, the program aims to promote healthy social and emotional development among school-aged youth. Another explicit aim is to prevent youth violence in school settings, recognizing that prevention and early intervention, combined with supportive environments and adequate services, can reduce the likelihood of crises and improve overall school climate.
From the funding details provided, this opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number SM 23 001 and CFDA (Assistance Listing) 93.243. It uses the grant funding instrument type and falls under the health funding activity category. The award ceiling is $1,800,000 per award, with an anticipated 21 awards. The opportunity was created on February 27, 2023, with an original closing date of April 28, 2023. Eligibility is described as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," indicating that applicants need to consult the full notice for the specific types of organizations or entities that SAMHSA considers eligible under this program.Apply for SM 23 001
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.243.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 27, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 28, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,800,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 21 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) - FAQs
1) What is Project AWARE?
Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) is a discretionary grant program run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). It is designed to help communities build and maintain a long-term, workable foundation for school-based mental health programs and services.
2) What is the main purpose of this grant program?
The main purpose is to support sustainable school-based mental health infrastructure. The program emphasizes strengthening systems, partnerships, and pathways to care so student supports can be maintained over time, rather than paying for isolated, short-term activities.
3) Is this program focused on short-term activities or long-term systems?
The program is centered on long-term sustainability. The core idea is to create an infrastructure that can continue supporting students by improving coordination, building durable partnerships, and establishing reliable connections to behavioral health services.
4) What is a central requirement of Project AWARE?
Collaboration is a central requirement. Recipients are expected to form partnerships and actively use them to connect education systems with behavioral health systems.
5) Which education agencies are expected to be involved?
SAMHSA emphasizes coordination with State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Where relevant, Tribal Education Agencies are also included as part of the expected coordination.
6) Which behavioral health stakeholders are expected to be involved?
The program expects strong involvement from the State Mental Health Agency and community-based behavioral health providers as part of the partnership structure supporting school-based mental health.
7) Besides agencies and providers, who else is expected to participate?
Project AWARE expects participation from school personnel, community organizations, families, and school-aged youth. The program framing reflects that schools cannot address student mental health needs alone, and that shared planning and clear service connections across partners are essential.
8) What kinds of activities are funded or expected under this program?
Using the partnerships created under the grant, funded projects are expected to carry out mental health-related activities across the full continuum of support. This includes promotion and awareness, prevention, intervention, and resilience-building supports.
9) What does "promotion and awareness" mean in this context?
Promotion and awareness efforts are intended to improve understanding of mental health and reduce stigma in school communities.
10) What does "prevention" mean for Project AWARE activities?
Prevention strategies are meant to reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors before problems escalate for school-aged youth.
11) What does "intervention" mean for Project AWARE activities?
Intervention activities focus on identifying and responding to emerging or active mental health needs so students can be connected to appropriate support and care.
12) What does "resilience-building" include?
Resilience-building supports are intended to help students cope with stress and adversity in healthy ways, strengthening their ability to manage challenges over time.
13) What does the program mean by "pathways to care" and "connection" to services?
A key expected outcome is not just that services exist, but that students are effectively connected to them. This means referral routes, follow-up, and coordination are strong enough that students actually receive timely, effective behavioral health care.
14) What outcomes is SAMHSA trying to influence through Project AWARE?
The program aims to promote healthy social and emotional development among school-aged youth by improving access to effective behavioral health supports and strengthening school-community partnerships.
15) How does Project AWARE relate to school safety?
An explicit aim is to prevent youth violence in school settings. The program description ties prevention and early intervention, supportive environments, and adequate services to improved school climate and reduced likelihood of crises.
16) Which federal agency runs this opportunity?
The opportunity is run by SAMHSA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
17) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is SM 23 001.
18) What is the CFDA/Assistance Listing number for this opportunity?
The CFDA (Assistance Listing) number is 93.243.
19) What type of funding instrument is used?
This opportunity uses a grant as the funding instrument type.
20) What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is health.
21) What is the maximum award amount for a single award?
The award ceiling is $1,800,000 per award.
22) How many awards are anticipated?
The opportunity anticipates 21 awards.
23) When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on February 27, 2023.
24) What was the original closing date?
The original closing date was April 28, 2023.
25) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)." This indicates applicants need to consult the full notice for the specific types of organizations or entities SAMHSA considers eligible under this program.
26) Why does the listing say "Others" for eligibility?
The listing signals that eligibility is not fully defined in the brief summary and is clarified in the full funding notice under the "Additional Information on Eligibility" section. Applicants are expected to refer to that full text to confirm whether they qualify.
27) Does the program require shared responsibilities among partners?
Yes. The description emphasizes shared planning, shared responsibilities, and clear referral and service connections across agencies and providers as part of creating lasting improvements.
28) What population does Project AWARE focus on?
The program focuses on school-aged youth, with activities and outcomes tied to student mental health, well-being, and school climate.
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