Federal Policy
SAMHSA Awards $383 Million for 988 Crisis Services and Behavioral Health Programs
SAMHSA announced $383.4 million in behavioral health grants, with $252 million directed to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, suicide prevention, and mobile crisis services. The remaining $131.4 million supports broader behavioral health treatment and prevention programs nationwide. The funding announcement coincides with 988 Day and aims to strengthen crisis response infrastructure and behavioral health service capacity. This funding directly affects Medicaid behavioral health programs, as states use these federal grants to build crisis infrastructure that often serves Medicaid enrollees and integrates with Medicaid-funded services.
Why it mattersThese federal grants fund crisis response infrastructure that states often integrate with Medicaid behavioral health benefits, affecting managed care network adequacy requirements and state crisis service obligations.
Also covered by:aha.org