Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program for States

The Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program for States is a forecasted opportunity issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This initiative builds on the Injury Center’s existing efforts to reduce suicide and expands its reach to more jurisdictions. Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, disproportionately impacting specific groups including veterans, rural communities, tribal populations, LGBTQ individuals, and those experiencing homelessness. This program seeks to implement and evaluate comprehensive prevention approaches tailored to these disproportionately affected populations. The purpose of the program is to provide resources to states, territories, and other eligible entities to establish and strengthen multi-sectoral suicide prevention strategies. Within the first six months, applicants will be expected to evaluate existing partnerships, assess available data, and inventory current suicide prevention programs. These assessments will guide the selection of evidence-based strategies from the CDC Suicide Prevention Resource for Action. The goal is to create a strong infrastructure that addresses contributors to suicide morbidity and mortality across jurisdictions. Funding for this program is intended to support the development and implementation of coordinated interventions across healthcare, community, and upstream prevention efforts. The program emphasizes building sustainable partnerships, integrating surveillance data into prevention activities, and continuously updating prevention program inventories. By year two, funded recipients are expected to fully implement comprehensive prevention strategies and conduct regular evaluation of program outcomes to ensure effectiveness and identify promising practices. Applicants must demonstrate their readiness through specific documentation requirements. These include a letter of commitment from the state or territorial health department leadership, a data use agreement confirming access to suicide-related morbidity and mortality data, and multiple letters of support from community-based, healthcare-related, and multi-sectoral partners. Additionally, applicants must submit a preliminary organizational chart showing staffing capacity, including a full-time epidemiologist and part-time positions for behavioral science, communications, and evaluation. Applications without these required elements will be deemed nonresponsive and will not proceed to review. Eligibility for this program is broad, encompassing state governments, local governments, special districts, school districts, housing authorities, higher education institutions, tribal governments, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations including small businesses. The award floor is set at $650,000 and the award ceiling at $1,200,000. The CDC has indicated that a total of approximately $49.6 million will be distributed across an expected 42 awards, with the final number depending on the availability of funds. No cost sharing or matching is required for this program. The forecasted application timeline begins with an estimated posting date of January 2, 2026, and closes March 3, 2026. Awards are expected to be announced by June 19, 2026, with projects beginning September 1, 2026. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov no later than 11:59 pm ET on the closing date. All submissions must include the required letters and organizational documentation in PDF format with specified filenames. The forecast will remain active until April 2, 2026. Questions regarding the program should be directed to the Comprehensive Suicide Prevention mailbox at [email protected]. This mailbox serves as the primary point of contact for potential applicants seeking clarification about eligibility, submission requirements, and program expectations. With clear program guidance, structured documentation requirements, and a strong emphasis on multi-sector collaboration, this program provides states and other eligible entities with the resources needed to advance suicide prevention across high-risk populations.