Opportunity Information: Apply for SM 21 005
The Cooperative Agreement for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Disaster Distress Helpline (Funding Opportunity Number SM-21-005) is a discretionary federal grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). The opportunity was created on December 11, 2020, with an original application deadline of February 9, 2021. It is listed under CFDA 93.243 and uses a grant funding instrument, with SAMHSA anticipating a single award under this competition.
The core purpose of the award is to support two closely related national crisis-response systems. First, the program funds the management, enhancement, and strengthening of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which serves as a routing and coordination system that connects people in the United States who are in suicidal crisis or emotional distress to a network of certified crisis centers. Those centers are expected to link callers (and, more broadly, people seeking help) to appropriate local resources such as emergency services, mental health providers, and other social service supports. In practice, this means the funded recipient is responsible for ensuring the Lifeline functions reliably at a national level while continuously improving how individuals are assessed, supported, and connected to on-the-ground help in their community.
Second, the cooperative agreement supports the Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH), a national service intended for people in the United States and its territories who experience emotional distress related to disasters and traumatic events. The DDH focus is not limited to any single type of incident; it is designed to serve individuals and communities affected by events that can overwhelm typical coping resources, including natural disasters and other large-scale crises. The funded work is meant to help people access immediate crisis counseling and to connect them to follow-up supports when needed.
SAMHSA frames the expected impact in terms of both capacity and outcomes. On the capacity side, the award is meant to increase the ability of these national systems to respond effectively to high volumes of contacts, operate consistently, and maintain strong linkages across the crisis center network and local service ecosystems. On the outcomes side, SAMHSA expects improvements in behavioral health outcomes through the prevention of death or injury from suicide and suicide attempts, and through stronger recovery support for individuals and communities affected by disasters and traumatic events. The approach emphasized in the description includes community-based behavioral health outreach, referral to and engagement with treatment as necessary, and psycho-educational services that can help people understand and manage distress reactions and connect to longer-term supports.
The opportunity lists eligible applicants generally as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced as being provided elsewhere in the full notice. Financially, the funding opportunity includes an award ceiling of $18,228,788 and anticipates making one award, signaling that SAMHSA intended to select a single national-level entity to operate and coordinate these functions under a cooperative agreement structure.Apply for SM 21 005
- 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 "Cooperative Agreement for National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Disaster Distress Helpline" 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 Dec 11, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 09, 2021. (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 $18,228,788.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
The Cooperative Agreement for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Disaster Distress Helpline is a discretionary federal grant program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SM-21-005.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
This opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.243.
What type of funding instrument is being used?
SAMHSA is using a grant funding instrument under a cooperative agreement structure.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on December 11, 2020.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was February 9, 2021.
How many awards did SAMHSA anticipate making?
SAMHSA anticipated making one award under this competition.
What is the award ceiling amount?
The award ceiling listed for this funding opportunity is $18,228,788.
What is the main purpose of this cooperative agreement?
The core purpose is to support two national crisis-response systems: (1) the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and (2) the Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH). The funded recipient is expected to manage, enhance, and strengthen these systems at a national level.
What activities does the award support for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline?
The award supports the management, enhancement, and strengthening of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline as a national routing and coordination system that connects people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress to a network of certified crisis centers.
What is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline described as in this opportunity?
It is described as a routing and coordination system that connects people in the United States who are in suicidal crisis or emotional distress to a network of certified crisis centers.
What are the certified crisis centers expected to do for people who contact the Lifeline?
The crisis centers are expected to link callers, and more broadly people seeking help, to appropriate local resources such as emergency services, mental health providers, and other social service supports.
What does it mean to support the Lifeline "at a national level"?
Based on the description, it means ensuring the Lifeline functions reliably as a national system while continuously improving how individuals are assessed, supported, and connected to local, on-the-ground help in their communities.
What activities does the award support for the Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH)?
The cooperative agreement supports DDH as a national service for people in the United States and its territories who experience emotional distress related to disasters and traumatic events, including providing immediate crisis counseling and connecting people to follow-up supports when needed.
Who does the Disaster Distress Helpline serve?
The DDH is intended for people in the United States and its territories who experience emotional distress related to disasters and traumatic events.
Is the Disaster Distress Helpline limited to certain kinds of disasters?
No. The description indicates the DDH focus is not limited to any single type of incident and is designed to support individuals and communities affected by events that can overwhelm typical coping resources, including natural disasters and other large-scale crises.
What kinds of support does SAMHSA expect these systems to provide?
The description emphasizes immediate crisis response and connection to appropriate local resources and follow-up supports when needed, along with community-based behavioral health outreach, referral to and engagement with treatment as necessary, and psycho-educational services to help people understand and manage distress reactions.
What capacity improvements does SAMHSA expect from this award?
On the capacity side, the award is intended to increase the ability of these national systems to respond effectively to high volumes of contacts, operate consistently, and maintain strong linkages across the crisis center network and local service ecosystems.
What outcomes does SAMHSA expect from this award?
On the outcomes side, SAMHSA expects improvements in behavioral health outcomes through prevention of death or injury from suicide and suicide attempts, and through stronger recovery support for individuals and communities affected by disasters and traumatic events.
How does this opportunity describe the link between national services and local resources?
The Lifeline component is described as connecting people to a network of certified crisis centers, and those centers are expected to connect people to appropriate local resources such as emergency services, mental health providers, and other social service supports.
Who is eligible to apply?
The opportunity lists eligible applicants generally as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced as being provided elsewhere in the full notice.
Does the opportunity indicate whether SAMHSA intended to fund a national-level operator?
Yes. The combination of a single anticipated award and the national scope of managing and coordinating the Lifeline and DDH signals that SAMHSA intended to select a single national-level entity to operate and coordinate these functions under a cooperative agreement.
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