Project Grant H79SM091153

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded the California Association Of Mental Health Peer Run Organizations $149,992 on September 30, 2026, under the Center for Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National Significance program (CFDA 93.532).

The recipient will build statewide capacity in peer-run organizations and their member organizations throughout California to improve mental health services for adults and transition-age youth by elevating peer voice and implementing high-fidelity peer support services aligned with the peer-led recovery model. Key deliverables include recruiting and convening a Leadership Committee of at least 20 peer-run organization leaders, meeting quarterly beginning November 2026, to guide development of a Center of Excellence in Peer Recovery; recruiting and convening a Peer Workforce Advisory Committee of at least 25 direct-service peer staff, peers in non-peer-run settings, and unemployed peer specialists, beginning December 2026, to identify workforce problems and develop advocacy solutions including four regional advocacy trainings annually; and developing a common peer-run organization and peer agenda for state behavioral health policy each February.

The project targets improved job satisfaction and retention for more than 9,700 certified Medi-Cal peer support specialists and improved personal, clinical, and social outcomes for an estimated 1.444 million Californians age 18 and older with serious mental illness.

Performance will take place in Yucca Valley, California. The award runs through September 29, 2029.