Block grants for community mental health services

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the Hawaii Department of Health $11.765 million under the Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services program (CFDA 93.958) on October 1, 2025. The award funds comprehensive community mental health services to adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance across Hawaii, with performance through September 30, 2027 and place of performance in Kapolei, Hawaii.

The Hawaii Department of Health passes funding to sub-recipients delivering specialized mental health services and training. The University of Hawaii at Manoa provides research, evaluation, and training program services under a sub-award effective July 1, 2026. Child and Family Service delivers family support services under a sub-award effective June 30, 2026. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education provides doctoral psychology internship training for two pre-doctoral psychology interns and one post-doctoral psychology fellow under a sub-award effective June 15, 2026.

Under the program's statutory framework, up to five percent of grant funds may be used for administration, and ten percent of the allocation must support programs showing strong evidence of effectiveness targeting individuals with early serious mental illness including psychotic disorders. Services are provided through qualified community programs including community mental health centers, child mental-health programs, psychosocial rehabilitation programs, mental health peer-support programs, and mental-health primary consumer-directed programs. Funds may not support inpatient services, cash payments to intended recipients, capital improvements, or financial assistance to entities other than public or nonprofit private organizations.