Summary: Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services awarded $582,067.00 in Block Grant funding to the Human Services Vermont Agency Of, effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. This award supports comprehensive community-based mental health services for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances across Vermont. The funding enables the state to deliver integrated services including outpatient counseling, crisis intervention, case management, peer support, housing assistance, and workforce training through qualified community mental health programs, community mental health centers, and psychosocial rehabilitation providers.

Under the Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services program (CFDA 93.958), Vermont may utilize up to 5 percent of the grant allocation for program administration, with the remainder directed toward direct service delivery. The award requires the state to maintain minimum funding levels consistent with prior fiscal year expenditures and dedicate 10 percent of the allocation to evidence-based programs targeting individuals with early serious mental illness, including psychotic disorders. As the designated state agency, Human Services Vermont Agency Of administers the grant directly and distributes funds through sub-awards to local governments, community organizations, and healthcare providers to ensure statewide access to mental health services.