Mental Health Safety Net Grant Program

The Mental Health Safety Net Grant Program is administered by the Minnesota Department of Health to support community-based mental health providers serving uninsured youth under the age of 21. Established under Minnesota Statute 145.929, the program is intended to defray the costs associated with delivering free or reduced-cost mental health services to low-income patients without insurance coverage. The statute authorizes annual awards, and for this cycle, approximately $394,000 has been appropriated for Fiscal Year 2026. Grants will be proportionally distributed based on the number of eligible uninsured youth served by each applicant. The funding supports eligible nonprofit community mental health clinics and community mental health centers that are either designated under Minnesota Statute 245.62 or recognized as Essential Community Providers under Minnesota Statute 62Q.19. To qualify, organizations must provide free or reduced-cost care to youth from families earning below 275 percent of federal poverty guidelines. Organizations currently receiving grants under the Dental Safety Net Grant or Hospital Safety Net Grant programs are not eligible to apply. Applicants are required to submit a Letter of Intent through the ORHPC Online Grants Portal by 4:30 p.m. Central Time on September 26, 2025. The application window opens on August 18, 2025, and full applications are due by 4:30 p.m. Central Time on November 5, 2025. The anticipated grant agreement start date is January 1, 2026, with an end date of December 31, 2026. The funding is allocated using a statutory formula based on the number of individual uninsured youth served, with a minimum award cap of 2 percent and a maximum of 30 percent of the total grant pool per applicant. Allowable expenses include salaries, fringe benefits, supplies, equipment, capital improvements, travel, training, and contracted services. Indirect costs and non-service-related expenses such as fundraising or taxes are not eligible. The program will use a reimbursement-based payment structure, requiring the submission of narrative progress reports and financial documentation biannually. The final report is due by January 20, 2027. The evaluation process is formula-based, rather than merit-reviewed. Grantees are selected based on their qualifying service volumes. MDH reserves the right to withhold funding if proposals do not meet necessary criteria. An informational webinar will be held on September 4, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, with materials available online after the event. All application materials must be submitted electronically. Questions may be submitted via email to Health.SafetyNetGrants@state.mn.us or by calling 651-201-3780. The final distribution announcements are expected the week of October 13, 2025, with applicant notifications by October 16, 2025.

Submit Letter of Intent early; prepare detailed documentation to prove eligibility and patient counts; review the grant agreement template beforehand.