President’s Budget Focuses on Prevention, Fiscal Responsibility

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Budget requests $3.6 billion for SAMHSA—an increase of $67 million over FY 2010. A total of $93 million is funded through the Prevention Fund.

“The FY 2012 Budget shows a commitment to behavioral health,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. “With that commitment comes the recognition that we need to do things differently, use a different approach.”

The FY 2012 Budget request reflects a focus on SAMHSA's Strategic Initiatives (see Administrator's message). In particular, it includes a changed budget structure and policy focus that emphasize meeting the behavioral health needs of people rather than focusing on the conditions that affect them.

It also reflects the implementation of a theory of change—specifically, SAMHSA’s budget supports innovation by identifying solutions to emerging issues through the use of limited, short-term discretionary grants. Those evidence-based practice and policy solutions are then moved into the Nation's behavioral health system through Block Grants to states, formula grants to states and tribes, ongoing discretionary grants, Medicaid/Medicare, or private insurance.

The Budget represents a bold plan of action to increase effectiveness and efficiency, embrace opportunities presented by changes in the Nation's health care system, and better meet the behavioral health needs of the Nation.

Treatment

The Budget includes $1.9 billion, an increase of $54 million over FY 2010, for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Block Grants to activate evidence-based treatment strategies nationwide and maintain the Nation’s behavioral health treatment infrastructure.

Funding for treatment infrastructure has declined in recent years as many states have scaled back their investments in behavioral health in the face of budget shortfalls. As access to health services—including mental health and substance abuse services—expands, SAMHSA will work with states to use their Block Grant funds more strategically through the use of evidence-based treatment strategies and interventions.

Prevention

Preventing substance abuse and mental illness is essential to maintain overall health for the American people. The Budget includes $535 million, an increase of $55 million over FY 2010, for new and expanded substance abuse prevention and mental health promotion grants to states and tribes to bring evidence-based prevention strategies to scale nationwide. SAMHSA will partner with states to use data-driven planning processes to address problems in communities through proven practices.

Substance Abuse-State Prevention Grant ($395 million). The Budget includes funding for a new Substance Abuse-State Prevention Grant by combining disparate substance abuse prevention funding streams to states to avoid duplication, improve coordination, and better leverage resources. The Budget will create a sustainable source of prevention funding for all states to employ evidence-based substance abuse prevention practices to address existing and emerging issues in high-risk communities.

Mental Health-State Prevention Grant ($90 million). The Budget includes funding for a Mental Health-State Prevention Grant through an expansion of Project LAUNCH (Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health). These grants will enable states to conduct evidence-based prevention and wellness interventions focused on children by targeting the common set of risk factors that lead to substance abuse and mental illness.

Behavioral Health-Tribal Prevention Grant ($50 million). The Budget includes a new Behavioral Health-Tribal Prevention Grant. Grants will be awarded to federally recognized tribes to activate strategies to prevent alcohol and substance abuse and prevent suicides. SAMHSA will coordinate with the Indian Health Service (IHS) to activate community-based prevention strategies.

Preventing Suicide ($48 million). The Budget dedicates the same funding as FY 2010 to prevent suicide and sustains the capacity of the national hotline that routes calls across the country.

Establishing Prevention-Prepared Communities ($23 million). A community-level initiative will serve young people during their at-risk years by activating comprehensive, evidence-based community prevention programs. The Budget will support 30 communities in identifying their predominant substance abuse and mental health issues and selecting the appropriate evidence-based strategies to target the risk and protective factors contributing to these issues.

Preventing Youth Violence ($94 million). SAMHSA collaborates with the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice through the Safe Schools/ Healthy Students program. SAMHSA-supported interventions foster early childhood development of mental and physical health, reduce or delay the onset of emotional and behavioral problems, and treat children with serious emotional disturbances.

Improving Children’s Mental Health ($121 million). Coordinated systems of mental health care for children are proven to sustain mental health improvements. The Budget includes funding for Children’s Mental Health Services for the development of comprehensive community-based systems of care for children and adolescents with serious emotional disorders and their families.