SAMHSA: Family Treatment Court Grant RFP Available – Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2017 Grants to Expand Substance Abuse Treatment Capacity in Family Treatment Drug Courts [Short Title: Family Treatment Drug Courts (FTDCs)]. The purpose of this program is to expand and/or enhance substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services in existing family treatment drug courts, which use the family treatment drug court model in order to provide alcohol and drug treatment (including recovery support services, screening, assessment, case management, and program coordination) to parents with a SUD and/or co-occurring SUD and mental disorders who have had a dependency petition filed against them or are at risk of such filing. Services must address the needs of the family as a whole and include direct service provision to children (18 and under) of individuals served by this project. Grantees will be expected to provide a coordinated, multi-system approach designed to combine the sanctioning power of treatment drug courts with effective treatment services promoting successful family preservation and reunification. Priority funding should address gaps in the treatment continuum for court involved individuals who need treatment for a SUD and/or co-occurring SUD and mental disorders while simultaneously addressing the needs of their children.

In alignment with the goals of SAMHSA’s Trauma and Justice Strategic Initiative this program will help reduce the pervasive, harmful, and costly health impact of violence and trauma in families by integrating trauma-informed approaches throughout health, behavioral health, and related systems and addressing the behavioral health needs of parents and children. By providing needed treatment and recovery services, this program is intended to reduce the health and social costs of substance use and dependence to the public.

The expectations of the grant are to provide funding for FTDCs to assist participants in reducing the rates of substance misuse, the severity of SUDs and co-occurring disorders, and decreasing out of home placements for children through family reunification and preservation. This, in turn, should also decrease the number of parents or guardians whose parental rights have been or will be terminated. It is expected that parents within the FTDC programs will have improved individual and family functioning as a result of receiving services. Parents will also have increased rates of employment, increased access to treatment and recovery support services for SUD and/or co-occurring SUD and mental disorders, and increased rates of treatment completion. Children will show an increase in socio-emotional, behavioral, developmental and/or cognitive functioning and will have access to comprehensive services to meet their varied needs. The award will allow current FTDCs to enhance and sustain programing by implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) and wraparound approaches to services in order to serve participants and their families.

The FTDC grant program is one of SAMHSA’s services grant programs. SAMHSA intends that its services grants result in the delivery of services as soon as possible after award. Service delivery should begin by the sixth month of the project at the latest.

Grants to Expand Substance Abuse Treatment Capacity in Family Treatment Drug Courts are authorized under Section 509 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020 Substance Abuse Topic Area HP 2020-SA.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include state and local governments, such as the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Single State Agency for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the designated State Drug Court Coordinator, or local governmental unit such as county or city agency with direct involvement with the drug court; Tribal Court Administrator; federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes and tribal organizations; and individual family treatment drug courts that adhere to the drug court 10 key components (see Appendix E(link is external)).

This grant is only intended for FTDCs. Any applications received on behalf of or from any other drug court programs (e.g., Juvenile or Adult Drug Courts) will be screened out and will not be reviewed.

It is allowable for an eligible entity to apply on behalf of one or more FTDCs, either through a single application or several applications. When the state/local/tribal government (city/county) or eligible entity applies on behalf of a FTDC(s), the applicant will be the award recipient and the entity responsible for satisfying the grant requirements. When multiple jurisdictions apply within one application, letters of commitment from each family drug court judge must be included stating they intend to meet the grant and reporting requirements. If such Letters of Commitment are not included in Attachment 1, the application will be screened out and will not be reviewed.

Award Information

Funding Mechanism:

Grant

Anticipated Total Available Funding:

Up to $6,375,000

Anticipated Number of Awards:

Up to 15

Anticipated Award Amount:

Up to $425,000 per year

Length of Project:

Up to 5 years

Proposed budgets cannot exceed $425,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project. While applicants may apply for up to $425,000 per year, applicants may need a lesser amount to implement their application proposals. Applicants are encouraged to apply only for the grant amount which they can reasonably expend based on the activities proposed in their application.

Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, grantee progress in meeting project goals and objectives, timely submission of required data and reports, and compliance with all terms and conditions of award.

Funding estimates for this announcement are based on an annualized Continuing Resolution and do not reflect the final FY 2017 appropriation. Applicants should be aware that funding amounts are subject to the availability of funds.

Contact Information

Program Issues

Amy Romero

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Division of Services Improvement

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

(240) 276-1622

Amy.Romero@samhsa.hhs.gov(link sends e-mail)

Grants Management and Budget Issues

Eileen Bermudez

Office of Financial Resources, Division of Grants Management

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

(240) 276-1412

FOACSAT@samhsa.hhs.gov(link sends e-mail)

Application Materials

You must respond to the requirements in both the FOA PART I and PART II when preparing your application.