The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), has unveiled $206 million in grant awards dedicated to youth mental health. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending additional Medicaid funding for school-based health services in Virginia to enhance healthcare access, including vital mental health services.

These combined initiatives are set to widen the availability of mental health services for students within schools, strengthen the behavioral health workforce, and enhance accessibility to mental health prevention and treatment for children and youth in communities across the nation. Notably, they signify a pivotal step forward in President Biden's Unity Agenda, marked by unparalleled investments in addressing the mental health crisis and revolutionizing the understanding, accessibility, treatment, and integration of mental health services within and beyond healthcare settings.

The investments include:

• $131.7 Million from SAMHSA to Support At-risk Youth and Families
• $55 Million from HRSA for Expanding Access to Youth Mental Health Care
• $20 Million from ACF to Launch First National Center to Support Mental Health Services in the Child Welfare System
• New Medicaid funding that helps expand access to health services, including mental health services, for eligible children in schools

Read the full release here.