Community Network Anchors (CNA-26)

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), through its Office of Women’s Health and Family Services, has released an initial Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Community Network Anchors (CNA-26) program. This initiative aligns with the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative and its Blueprint for Transformation, which emphasizes stronger coordination of children’s behavioral health care and improved family support systems across Illinois. The program will fund six regional lead entities, one in each of the six IDPH Health Regions, to act as Community Network Anchors and fortify local networks that address mental health, behavioral health, wellness, family-centered care, and public health needs. The purpose of CNA-26 is to coordinate, organize, and expand community networks, ensuring that family voices and lived experiences are central to decision-making. Anchors will serve as conveners of community stakeholders—including health providers, schools, family-run organizations, local governments, and advocacy groups—to build sustainable partnerships that promote equity and resilience. Key goals include increasing family access to mental and behavioral health providers, improving connections between providers and state resources such as the BEACON portal, strengthening family and youth engagement, and expanding culturally responsive, community-based solutions. Funding for this program totals $600,000, with up to $100,000 available for each of the six awards. The initial project period is expected to run for nine months from October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, with the possibility of one renewal year. Funding sources include both federal pass-through and state funds. Allowable costs include staff salaries, travel, supplies, equipment under $5,000, contractual services, and administrative expenses. Prohibited costs include pre-award expenses, construction, promotional items, interest payments, and charitable contributions. All costs must be reasonable, allocable, and necessary for program performance. Eligible applicants include nonprofit corporations, government entities, school districts, regional offices of education, universities, and community colleges. Applicants must have expertise in coordinating behavioral health and family well-being initiatives and demonstrable community ties, particularly with populations at higher risk of adverse outcomes. Entities must also be prequalified through the State’s Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) system, have an active UEI and SAM.gov registration, be in good fiscal standing, and not appear on federal or state exclusion lists. Applications must be submitted electronically via IDPH’s EGrAMS portal at idphgrants.com by September 15, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. The opportunity opened on August 15, 2025. A technical assistance webinar will be held on August 27, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. and is recommended but not mandatory. Required application materials include a narrative, SMARTIE framework work plan, budget, budget narrative, W-9, resumes, job descriptions, risk assessment, and three letters of support from regional health or community leaders. Applicants must outline strategies for engaging individuals with lived experience, collecting and sharing network data, and sustaining activities beyond the grant period. Proposals will be evaluated on a merit-based review process. Scoring criteria include scope of work (30 points), work plan (20 points), budget (15 points), and adherence to health equity requirements (35 points). Applications must demonstrate alignment with the IDPH Health Equity Checklist, address social determinants of health, and incorporate culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Award notices will be distributed through EGrAMS to successful applicants, with program implementation expected to begin October 1, 2025. The program requires quarterly reports, a final report, and monthly reimbursement requests. For questions, applicants may contact Lisa Masinter, Deputy Director, Office of Women’s Health and Family Services, at lisa.masinter@illinois.gov or 312-814-1884.

Attend technical assistance, prepare standard EGrAMS responses, use SMARTIE objectives, integrate health equity and lived-experience