An official State of Texas website.
Behavioral Health Services implements an array of services through state and federal grant initiatives. There are currently four legislatively directed state initiatives funding community programs, and mental and behavioral health service providers targeting specific Texas populations. Additionally, there are several federally funded grant program services implemented under block grant, disaster grant, opioid response, and COVID-19 grant funding.
State-Funded Matching Grant Programs
The HHSC matching grant program supports community mental health projects that provide services and treatment to people experiencing mental illness. There are four grant initiatives, as follows.
Community Mental Health Grant Program
The Community Mental Health Grant Program is designed to foster community collaboration, reduce duplication of mental health services, and strengthen continuity of care for people receiving services through a diverse local provider network.
The design of each project funded through the program varies significantly. Many projects are designed to address coordination of mental health care and transition support services for people with mental illness. Other projects leverage existing resources to reduce duplication of efforts and optimize existing strategies for effective clinical management of care.
Mental Health Grant for Justice-Involved Individuals
The Mental Health Grant for Justice-Involved Individuals was established to reduce recidivism rates, arrests and incarceration among people with mental illness, and reduce the wait time for people on forensic commitments. The program supports community grant programs by:
- Providing behavioral health care services to people with a mental illness encountering the criminal justice system.
- Facilitating local cross-agency coordination of behavioral health, physical health, and jail diversion services for people with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system.
Rural Mental Health Initiative Grant Program
The Rural Mental Health Initiative Grant Program establishes or expands regional behavioral health centers or jail diversion centers and services in rural counties with a population of less than 250,000. The program supports communities by providing access to mental health care by expanding access to services to Texans residing in rural counties.
Healthy Community Collaborative Program
The Healthy Community Collaborative Grant Program aims to bring together the public and private sectors through communities and collaboratives to support the recovery and housing stability of persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
Texas Veterans and Family Alliance Grant Program
The Texas Veterans and Family Alliance Grant Program was created to improve the quality of life of Texas veterans and their families by supporting communities that expand availability and access to mental health treatment and services. Funds are intended to be a catalyst for communities to develop and support sustainable partnerships, collaborative relationships, and coordinated service delivery systems that continue to operate after the life of a grant project.
Federal Grants
Federal grants may be categorized into two types: discretionary grants and block grants. Discretionary grants may be awarded at the discretion of the assigned federal agency through a competitive review process to states, local governments, universities or various organizations. Block grants are noncompetitive formula grants mandated by U.S. Congress that provide funding to qualifying states, territories or federally recognized tribes.
Introduction to Block Grants (PDF)
Community Mental Health Block Grant
This two-year federal block grant funds comprehensive community mental health services through contracts with local mental health authorities and local behavioral health authorities across the state. Funds are used to plan, carry out and evaluate related activities. Adults with serious mental illnesses and children with serious emotional disturbances are prioritized for state-funded treatment services that follow federal guidelines.
Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant
This two-year federal block grant funds comprehensive substance use disorder prevention, intervention and treatment services through contracts with community organizations across the state. Funds are used to plan, implement and evaluate related activities. To meet federal guidelines, the grant prioritizes substance use disorder treatment services for pregnant women and intravenous drug users.
Disaster Response – Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program
Following a presidential disaster declaration, a state may apply for federal grants that are awarded to local mental health authorities, local behavioral health authorities or other providers (such as education service centers) in any impacted service areas. The grants provide short-term interventions to people having psychological reactions because of the disaster.
Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness
This annual federal grant provides funding to reduce or eliminate homelessness for people with serious mental illnesses or co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders. The grant is specifically for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
State Opioid Response Grant
This is a two-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration that funds the behavioral health continuum of care, treatment or recovery services. Strategies include medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, peer recovery coaching, disposal of prescription drugs, and overdose-related emergency response services.
Through the Texas Targeted Opioid Response program, the grant aims to address the opioid crisis by reducing unmet needs for treatment and opioid overdose-related deaths through its evidence-based programming.
Rural Mental Health Initiative Grant Program
The Rural Mental Health Initiative Grant Program establishes or expands behavioral health centers for adults experiencing mental illness and children experiencing serious emotional disturbances, or jail diversion centers for adults experiencing mental illness. The program supports community grant programs by providing mental health treatment, prevention and early intervention in rural Texas.