Block grants for community mental health services

The Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services $10,229,653 on October 1, 2025, under the Block Grants for Community Mental Health Services program (CFDA 93.958) for the period through September 30, 2027, with place of performance in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The award funds comprehensive community mental health services to adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance. Under statutory authority, funds support prevention, treatment, and recovery programs delivered through community mental health centers, psychosocial rehabilitation programs, peer-support programs, and consumer-directed mental health programs. Up to 5 percent of grant funds may be used for administration. The program requires states to maintain integrated service systems for children, to expend no less than the FY 1994 baseline, and to set aside 10 percent for evidence-based early intervention programs targeting individuals with early serious mental illness including psychotic disorders.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services passed funding through five Regional Behavioral Health Authorities (RBHAs) effective July 13–August 5, 2026: Region 1 Behavioral Health Authority, Region Two Human Services, Region III Behavioral Health, Region 4 Behavioral, and Region 5 Systems. Each RBHA's sub-award agreement directs the regional authority to manage and oversee the provision of mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, recovery support, and other services within its region.