Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services Award Summary

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services awarded $1,673,587.00 to the Hawaii Department of Health through the Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services program (CFDA 93.958) for the two-year period from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. This block grant provides comprehensive community-based mental health services to adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances throughout Hawaii. The funding supports evidence-based outpatient counseling, crisis intervention, case management, peer support services, and workforce training delivered exclusively through qualified community programs, including community mental health centers and psychosocial rehabilitation programs.

Under program requirements, Hawaii must allocate up to five percent of the grant funds for administrative costs and maintain a mandatory ten percent set-aside for evidence-based programs targeting individuals with early serious mental illness. The state maintains discretion in distributing the remaining funds to achieve program objectives through sub-awards to local governments, nonprofit organizations, and community-based service providers. The award specifically prohibits use of funds for inpatient services, capital improvements, and direct cash payments to service recipients, ensuring resources are directed toward community-based service delivery and system development.