Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News
December 11, 2006, Vol. 06-123

.8 Million Available to Fund Five Mental Health Assistance Centers That Promote Consumer Involvement in Treatment

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced the availability of fiscal year 2007 funds for grants to promote consumer-directed approaches for adults with serious mental illnesses. The purpose of the program is to assist with the transformation of the mental health system. These programs would maximize consumer self-determination and recovery by helping people with serious mental illness decrease their reliance on expensive social services and avoid psychiatric hospitalization.

It is expected that .8 million will be available to fund five grants for National Consumer and Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Centers (TACs). A consumer TAC is an organization that is controlled and managed by consumers, is dedicated to the improvement of mental health services, has a board of directors comprised of more than 50 percent consumers, and has individuals on the board of directors who are 18 years of age or older and have a serious mental illness. A consumer-supporter TAC is an organization that is controlled and managed by consumer supporters (who include parents, siblings, spouses, friends, coworkers, and neighbors who provide support in a non-professional capacity). A consumer-supporter TAC has a board of directors comprised of more than 50 percent consumer supporters who are involved with the support of a consumer.

Program goals are to strengthen consumer organizations and leadership in States, promote skills development for consumers, expand consumer participation in policy development, and promote the recovery concept among mental health providers. Three grants will be for consumer TACs and two for consumer-supporter TACs. The grants will not exceed $340,000 for each of three years. There will be an additional $126,000 competitively awarded each year to one of the three successful consumer TACs to facilitate the annual Alternatives Conference run by and for mental health consumers.

WHO CAN APPLY: Eligible applicants include domestic, public and private nonprofit entities, including faith-based organizations, tribal organizations; and currently funded consumer and consumer support technical center grantees.

HOW TO APPLY: Applications for SM-07-003 are available by calling SAMHSA's clearinghouse at 1-877-SAMHSA7 and on the Web at www.samhsa.gov/grants/index.aspx or from www.grants.gov.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: Application must be received by February 2, 2007.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Applicants with questions on program issues should contact Risa S. Fox, M.S. at 240-276-1960 or risa.fox@samhsa.hhs.gov. For questions on grants management issues, contact Kimberly Pendleton at 240-276-1421 or kimberly.pendleton@samhsa.hhs.gov.

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The Center for Mental Health Services is a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, United States Department of Health and Human Services.