Block grants for community mental health services

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services) awarded the Virgin Islands Department of Health $978,188 under the Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services program (CFDA 93.958) on October 1, 2025. This block grant funds comprehensive community mental health services for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance across the U.S. Virgin Islands. The award carries a period of performance through September 30, 2027. Up to 5 percent of the grant funds may be used for administering the award. Grant funds must support services through qualified community programs, including community mental health centers, child mental-health programs, psychosocial rehabilitation programs, and mental-health peer-support and consumer-directed programs. The recipient must maintain systems of integrated services for children with serious emotional disturbance and set aside 10 percent of the allocation for programs demonstrating strong evidence of effectiveness targeting individuals with early serious mental illness, including psychotic disorders. Funds may not be used for inpatient services, cash payments to recipients, land or facility purchase or construction, major medical equipment, or financial assistance to entities other than public or nonprofit private entities.