FY2026 Cooperative Agreements for States and Territories to Improve Local 988 Capacity

The Cooperative Agreements for States and Territories to Improve Local 988 Capacity is a federal funding opportunity administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This program is part of a broader national effort to strengthen the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline system, which provides immediate support via calls, text, and chat for individuals experiencing mental health crises. SAMHSA plays a central role in coordinating behavioral health services across the country and focuses on expanding access, improving quality of care, and addressing high-risk populations, including individuals at risk of suicide or substance use disorders. The primary purpose of this program is to enhance the capacity of states and territories to respond effectively to all 988 contacts originating within their jurisdictions. This includes improving infrastructure, workforce capacity, coordination with local crisis services, and the ability to respond to diverse communication channels such as voice calls, text messages, and online chats. The program also emphasizes improving service delivery for populations at elevated risk, including those experiencing substance use crises or co-occurring mental health conditions. Funding under this opportunity is expected to support a wide range of activities that strengthen crisis response systems. While specific allowable costs are not detailed in the forecast notice, typical cooperative agreements of this nature include support for staffing, training, technology upgrades, coordination with emergency services, and public awareness initiatives. As a cooperative agreement, SAMHSA is expected to have substantial involvement in program implementation, including technical assistance, oversight, and coordination with award recipients. Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to state and territorial government agencies, including all 50 states and U.S. territories such as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. SAMHSA will issue only one award per state or territory, and in cases where multiple applications are submitted from a single jurisdiction, only the highest-scoring application will be considered for funding. This structure reinforces a coordinated, statewide approach to 988 system development. The application process is expected to follow standard federal grant submission procedures through Grants.gov, although detailed application components, required documents, and evaluation criteria have not yet been released in this forecast stage. Typically, applicants would be required to submit a comprehensive proposal including program narratives, budgets, and implementation plans aligned with SAMHSA priorities. Evaluation is generally based on factors such as program design, organizational capacity, alignment with federal objectives, and anticipated impact. The timeline for this opportunity is currently in a forecast stage, with an estimated posting date of May 1, 2026. Specific application deadlines, award dates, and project start dates have not yet been announced. The total estimated program funding is $211,100,000, with approximately 56 awards anticipated, suggesting broad national coverage. The absence of a matching requirement lowers barriers for eligible applicants and facilitates participation from all jurisdictions. Interested applicants are encouraged to monitor Grants.gov for updates and prepare in advance. For additional information, applicants may contact the listed program officer, James Wright, via phone or email. As this opportunity is part of an ongoing national initiative to expand crisis response capacity, it is likely to recur in future fiscal years, although no explicit recurrence schedule is stated in the forecast notice.