Block grants for community mental health services

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded $55.254 million in Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services (CFDA 93.958) to the Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services on October 1, 2025, with performance through September 30, 2027.

The funding supports comprehensive community mental health services for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance across Virginia. DBHDS, the designated state agency, delivers these services through community mental health centers, psychosocial rehabilitation programs, mental health peer-support programs, and mental-health primary consumer-directed programs. The state plan must integrate services for children with serious emotional disturbance and set aside 10 percent of the allocation for evidence-based programs targeting individuals with early serious mental illness, including psychotic disorders. Up to 5 percent of grant funds may be used for administration.

The grant operates as a block grant to the state, which exercises discretion in deploying funds consistent with statutory and regulatory requirements. Funds may not support inpatient services, cash payments to service recipients, facility acquisition or construction, or financial assistance to for-profit entities. The allotment is available for obligation and expenditure during fiscal year 2025 and the subsequent fiscal year.