Grant Opportunities for Mental Health & Behavioral Health Nonprofits

Week of April 17, 2026

URGENT — Closing Within 30 Days


Children's Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) FUNDER: SAMHSA / U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
AMOUNT: Up to $3,000,000 per award ($43.3M total; 22 awards expected)
DEADLINE: April 20, 2026 — URGENT (4 days)
ELIGIBILITY: State governments, political subdivisions of states, and federally recognized tribal organizations. Note: organizations funded under SM-23-013 in FY2023 or FY2024 are ineligible.
SUMMARY: SAMHSA's flagship children's mental health program funds comprehensive, community-based services for youth ages birth through 21 with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Funded organizations implement the System of Care approach — a multi-agency, family-centered model — with cost-sharing required. If your organization operates at the state, county, or tribal level and serves children with SED, this is one of the largest federal mental health awards currently available. The window closes Monday.
APPLY: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-26-013

URGENT — Closing Within 30 Days

Implementing Zero Suicide in Health Systems FUNDER: SAMHSA / U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
AMOUNT: Up to $700,000 per year ($16.1M total; 31 awards expected)
DEADLINE: April 20, 2026 — URGENT (4 days)
ELIGIBILITY: States, territories, tribal organizations, community-based primary care or behavioral health organizations, emergency departments, and local public health agencies. No cost-sharing required.
SUMMARY: SAMHSA is funding health systems to implement the full seven-element Zero Suicide framework — covering leadership commitment, workforce training, care pathways, and suicide attempt care transitions — for adults at risk of suicide. This is one of the more accessible federal grants for community behavioral health organizations, with broader eligibility than many SAMHSA programs. If your org has a suicide prevention mandate or operates within a health system, this is a strong fit. Application closes Monday.
APPLY: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-26-008

URGENT — Closing Within 30 Days

Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Program FUNDER: SAMHSA / U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
AMOUNT: Up to $750,000 per year ($10M total; 16 awards expected)
DEADLINE: April 20, 2026 — URGENT (4 days)
ELIGIBILITY: Counties, cities, mental health systems and authorities, and mental health courts with legal authority to implement AOT under their state's statute. Eligibility is narrow — confirm your state has AOT legislation before investing in an application.
SUMMARY: This grant funds implementation and expansion of Assisted Outpatient Treatment programs — court-ordered community-based treatment for adults with serious mental illness who meet civil commitment criteria. Primarily for governmental mental health entities and courts rather than independent nonprofits, but represents significant funding for those who qualify. No cost-sharing required.
APPLY: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-26-001

📋 THIS WEEK'S OPPORTUNITIES

Florida Blue Foundation — Mental Well-Being Grant Program
FUNDER: Florida Blue Foundation (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida affiliate)
AMOUNT: $300,000–$400,000 total (4-year grant; approximately $75,000–$100,000/year)
DEADLINE: May 21, 2026
ELIGIBILITY: 501(c)(3) nonprofits operating in Florida with documented expertise in mental well-being. Florida organizations only.
SUMMARY: Florida Blue Foundation opened its 2026 Mental Well-Being cycle earlier this month, committing $3.2M in four-year grants to nonprofits expanding access to mental health services in Florida. Priority goes to organizations with proven track records and innovative, scalable models targeting stress, anxiety, depression, isolation, and loneliness — particularly for underserved Floridians. Multi-year funding from a stable regional funder with a real behavioral health commitment. If your organization is Florida-based, this is worth prioritizing.
APPLY: https://www.floridablue.com/foundation

California Innovation Partnership Fund (IPF-001) FUNDER: California Commission for Behavioral Health (BHSOAC) — State of California
AMOUNT: Small Grants up to $500,000 (CBOs, nonprofits, tribal orgs only); Large Grants $500,000–$5,000,000 (all entity types). $20M available in FY2026-27; $100M committed over 5 years.
DEADLINE: Currently open — check bhsoac.ca.gov for submission deadline
ELIGIBILITY: California-based organizations. Small grant category is exclusively for community-based organizations, nonprofits, and tribal organizations. Large grant category is open to all entity types.
SUMMARY: This is the largest competitive behavioral health grant in California history — the first round of a five-year, $100M fund created by the Behavioral Health Services Act. It funds bold, equity-centered innovations in how mental health and substance use disorder services are delivered across California's public behavioral health system. Priority populations include unhoused individuals, veterans, youth, and communities with mental health disparities. If you operate in California, this belongs at the top of your pipeline. Contracts start July 1, 2026 — the window is open now.
APPLY: https://bhsoac.ca.gov/connect/grant-funding-opportunities/request-for-proposal-rfp-for-innovation-partnership-fund-ipf-001/

Elevance Health Foundation — Maternal & Infant Health RFP FUNDER:
Elevance Health Foundation (formerly Anthem Foundation)
AMOUNT: Not publicly specified; multi-year grants typical
DEADLINE: July 31, 2026 (application portal opens June 2026)
ELIGIBILITY: 501(c)(3) nonprofits nationally, with priority for programs in CA, FL, GA, IN, MO, NV, NY, OH, TX, and VA, or national programs with scalable impact.
SUMMARY: Elevance's behavioral health track is closed for 2026 (reopens in 2027), but this cycle is directly relevant for organizations whose work touches perinatal mental health — a rapidly growing funding priority. The RFP focuses on maternal health disparities, barriers to prenatal and postnatal care, and social needs throughout pregnancy. Organizations doing postpartum depression treatment, perinatal mental health, or trauma-informed maternal care have a compelling angle here. Bookmark the application portal now; it opens in June.
APPLY: https://elevancehealth.foundation/for-grantseekers

Cigna Group Foundation — Veterans Housing & Mental Health Grant FUNDER: The Cigna Group Foundation
AMOUNT: Not yet disclosed
DEADLINE: Opens June 2026 — watch for RFA announcement
ELIGIBILITY: Local nonprofits focused on housing stability and mental health for veterans
SUMMARY: Cigna closed its 2026 youth mental health cycle in March, but its veteran-focused housing and mental health grant track opens for new applications in June. Not yet open, but worth getting on your radar now if your organization serves veterans or sits at the intersection of housing insecurity and behavioral health. Cigna has sustained multi-year support for this track. Start preparing your organizational profile and narrative now so you're ready to move when the RFA drops.
APPLY: https://www.thecignagroup.com/our-impact/esg/healthy-society/community/foundation/

SAMHSA — Treatment and Recovery Services for Youth, Young Adults, and Families FUNDER: SAMHSA / U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
AMOUNT: Approximately $545,000 per award ($6.54M total; 12 awards anticipated)
DEADLINE: NOFO forecasted to release May 15, 2026 — prepare now
ELIGIBILITY: Domestic public and private nonprofit entities
SUMMARY: SAMHSA has forecasted this NOFO for May 15 as part of its spring 2026 funding wave. The program funds comprehensive treatment and recovery services for youth ages 12–17 and young adults 18–25 with substance use disorders and/or co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions, along with their families and caregivers. This is one of the most relevant upcoming federal opportunities for behavioral health nonprofits working with adolescents and young adults — broad nonprofit eligibility, meaningful award sizes, and a clear fit for orgs running outpatient, residential, or community-based programs for this population. The NOFO is not yet live, but organizations should begin pulling together eligibility documentation, letters of support, and program narratives now. Monitor grants.gov for posting.
APPLY: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361580

📊 ONE INSIGHT THIS WEEK

The three SAMHSA grants closing Monday tell you exactly where federal behavioral health dollars are concentrated right now: children with serious emotional disturbance, suicide prevention infrastructure, and court-involved adults with serious mental illness. These aren't new priorities — but the simultaneous release of all three with the same April 20 deadline, totaling nearly $70M, signals that SAMHSA is moving aggressively in these areas under the current administration's "Great American Recovery Initiative" framing. Organizations that haven't yet built relationships with their state behavioral health agencies are leaving federal money on the table — most SAMHSA community-level grants flow through or require coordination with state systems, making those relationships a prerequisite, not a nicety.

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— Cody, FundedCare | MFT-LP

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