Block grants for community mental health services

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the Florida Department of Children and Families $168.782 million on October 1, 2025, under the Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services program (CFDA 93.958). The award funds comprehensive community mental health services to adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance across Florida through October 1, 2026, with place of performance in Tallahassee, Florida.

DCF passes funding through eight sub-recipients designated as Behavioral Health Managing Entities and specialist service providers. Lutheran Services Florida, Inc. serves as a Behavioral Health Managing Entity providing regional coordination of mental health and substance abuse treatment services. Central Florida Cares Health System, Inc. delivers the same managing entity function across Brevard, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, including crisis intervention team training for law enforcement and mental health first aid training for first responders in central Florida. Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, Inc. coordinates behavioral health services delivery across its region through contracts with local providers. Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network, Broward Behavioral Health Coalition, Inc., Big Bend Community Based Care, Inc., and Thriving Mind South Florida, Inc. each operate as regional Behavioral Health Managing Entities. Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, Inc. provides substance abuse prevention and treatment training and maintains a learning management system supporting the network. University of South Florida provides mental health consultation services. Fei.com, Inc. (doing business as FEI Systems) maintains ASSAM Continuum licenses, Web Infrastructure for Treatment Services (WITS) integration, and the FASAMS substance abuse and mental health information system. The assistance type is a Block Grant with a period of performance through September 30, 2027.