National Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth and Family Mental Health

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has announced the FY 2025 funding opportunity for the National Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC), Opportunity Number SM-25-020. This cooperative agreement aims to improve access to effective mental health services for children, youth, and young adults from birth to age 21, along with their families. The initiative will focus on the implementation of the systems of care (SOC) approach and promotion of family and youth engagement. The award recipient will deliver training and technical assistance (TTA) to SAMHSA’s Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) recipients, public entities involved in children's mental health systems, and family-run organizations such as Statewide Family Network (SFN) recipients. The grant provides up to $5,075,000 annually, for up to five years, to support one selected applicant. The funding is structured as a cooperative agreement, signifying close collaboration between SAMHSA and the grantee throughout the project. The expected project start date is September 30, 2025, with awards to be announced no later than September 29, 2025. Activities must adhere to applicable Executive Orders, and all materials must be accessible and inclusive. Required activities include developing implementation workplans, partnerships with national family-run organizations, creating technical expert panels, disseminating products, maintaining a website, and delivering individualized coaching and consultation. Eligible applicants include domestic public and private nonprofit entities such as states, tribes, political subdivisions, and non-profit organizations, among others. If applying as a nonprofit, documentation of nonprofit status is required. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The funding cannot be used for food or to support removable or undocumented aliens. SAMHSA will require submission of performance data through its SPARS system and regular programmatic reporting to ensure compliance and impact assessment. The application process involves several key components: a project abstract, a 10-page project narrative, a budget narrative, and a range of attachments including letters of commitment, data collection protocols, consent forms, timelines, personnel bios, and evidence of nonprofit status. A letter of commitment from a national family-run organization must be included, or the application will not be reviewed. All applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov or eRA Commons by July 22, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons registration is required in advance. Evaluation criteria include demonstrated need, implementation strategy, organizational experience, and the proposed data collection and evaluation methods. SAMHSA staff will participate actively in project oversight, including site visits, milestone reviews, and product dissemination. The selected grantee must collaborate with SAMHSA-supported TTA programs and organize at least two national meetings over the project period. Comprehensive progress and final reports are required, as is compliance with accessibility standards under Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.