U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Transforming Lives Through Supported Employment

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for the Transforming Lives Through Supported Employment (Supported Employment) program. This program seeks to support state and community efforts to refine, implement, and sustain evidence-based supported employment programs and mutually compatible and supportive evidence-based practices (e.g., supported education) for transition-aged youth/young adults (ages 16-25) with serious emotional disturbance (SED), and adults with serious mental illness (SMI) or co-occurring mental and substance use disorders (COD). SAMHSA expects that this program will increase state and community capacity to implement and sustain Supported Employment Program (SEP) models and integrated supports to improve competitive employment outcomes for individuals with SED, SMI, or COD.

Proposed projects are expected to implement the following required activities:

• Identify and implement supported employment evidence-based services, practices, and strategies, and mutually supportive practices/strategies that are responsive to the selected population(s) of focus and adhere to practice fidelity or standards. These services must be individualized and tailored to the needs of the client, and provide comprehensive mental health services (psychiatric services including psychotropic medication and psychotherapeutic interventions, as indicated, inclusive of individual, group, and family therapy(ies); case management; physical healthcare; and social services supports including housing, legal services assistance, and assistance accessing state/federal benefits), in conjunction with vocational services.
• Identify and implement SEP workforce development strategies and training for individuals who work with the selected population(s) of focus (e.g., mental health clinicians/providers, employment/vocational specialists) to: (1) increase workforce expectations of competitive employment as an outcome; and (2) expand workforce capacity to actively support competitive employment.
• Provide pre-employment services and counseling as necessary with the goal of identifying appropriate employment opportunities.
• Establish linkages and coordination with labor and vocational rehabilitation departments, local representatives of organizations, service providers, businesses, and educational institutions that serve the population of focus.
• Establish relationships with local employers to provide employment opportunities for program participants.
• Engage in sustainability planning and create a plan that identifies sustainable funding approaches.

Amount: A total of $5,792,761 is available to make up to seven awards that range up to $800,000 per year for up to five years.

Eligibility: Domestic public and private nonprofit entities, including:

• State governments; the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau
• Governmental units within political subdivisions of a state, such as a county, city, or town
• Federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes, tribal organizations, Urban Indian Organizations, and consortia of tribes or tribal organizations
• Public or private universities and colleges
• Community- and faith-based organizations

Link: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-19-011

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