SAMHSA announces new grant program, Behavioral Health Treatment Court Collaboratives

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced $13 million in new grants to help state and local courts offer treatment and recovery support instead of incarceration for individuals who are in a court system due to mental health or substance use disorders. These new grants will provide more flexibility within the criminal justice system to work with other authorities and service providers to address behavioral health needs of detainees, inmates and parolees.

This new grant program, Behavioral Health Treatment Court Collaboratives, combines current drug court, mental health court, and community reentry efforts to create court and community networks that have an improved ability to reach adults with behavioral health needs that are showing up in the criminal justice system.

"For far too long we have treated substance abuse and mental illness in America with criminal justice solutions - which are not solutions at all," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. "This new approach, creating court and community networks, will put into place a public health solution for people struggling with behavioral health problems."

This grant program is part of SAMHSA's Strategic Initiative on Trauma and Justice. The 11 grantees will receive up to $400,000 each year, over the course of the next three years. The actual award amounts may vary and continuation awards are subject to availability of funds and progress achieved by awardees.

Source: SAMHSA