Federal Block Grant Award Summary

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services awarded $882,143 to the Guam Behavioral Health & Wellness Center (GBHWC) under the Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services program (CFDA 93.958) for the period of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. As Guam's sole state mental health agency, GBHWC will utilize these funds to establish and maintain comprehensive community-based mental health services targeting adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances across the territory's population of approximately 160,000 residents.

Under this block grant, GBHWC will deliver evidence-based outpatient counseling, crisis intervention, case management, peer support services, housing assistance, and workforce training through qualified community programs. The award funds are subject to statutory restrictions that prohibit their use for inpatient services, capital improvements, and direct cash payments to service recipients. In accordance with program requirements, GBHWC must allocate up to five percent of grant funds for administrative costs, set aside ten percent for evidence-based programs targeting early serious mental illness, and maintain integrated service systems for children with serious emotional disturbance. GBHWC will coordinate service delivery in collaboration with local entities including the Superior Court of Guam and the Department of Corrections.