Notice2026-20651
Agency Information Collection Activities Comment Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 8, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 194 (Thursday, October 8, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 194 (Thursday, October 8, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64385-64387]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-20651]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities Comment Request
In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 concerning opportunity for public comment on proposed
collections of information, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) will publish periodic summaries of
proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects
or to obtain a copy of the information collection plans, contact the
SAMHSA Clearance Office at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2251434f4a514352504c6251434f4a51430c4a4a510c454d54"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="186b7975706b79686a76586b7975706b793670706b367f776e">[email protected]</span></a>.
Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collections of
information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology.
Proposed Project: National Substance Use and Mental Health Services
Survey (N-SUMHSS) (OMB No. 0930-0386)--Revision of a Currently Approved
Collection
Under Section 505 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
290aa-4), SAMHSA is required to conduct annual collection of data on
substance use and mental health. Selected information collected from
the N-SUMHSS is also published on SAMHSA's <a href="http://FindTreatment.gov">FindTreatment.gov</a> for
persons seeking treatment for mental and substance use disorders in the
United States. <a href="http://FindTreatment.gov">FindTreatment.gov</a> is authorized by the 21st Century
Cures Act (Pub. L. 114-255, Section 9006; 42 U.S.C. 290bb-36d).
In 2021, SAMHSA combined the National Survey of Substance Abuse
Treatment Services (N-SSATS) and the National Mental Health Services
Survey (N-MHSS) into the N-SUMHSS to reduce the burden on facilities
offering both substance use and mental health services, optimize
government resources to collect data, and enhance the quality of data
collected on the treatment facilities.
The N-SUMHSS is the most comprehensive national source of data on
substance use and mental health treatment facilities. On an annual
basis, the N-SUMHSS collects information on the facility location,
characteristics, and utilization of substance use and mental health
treatment services. The survey also collects client counts on
individuals receiving services at these facilities. There is an
increasing need to collect and maintain data on current and accurate
numbers of clients in treatment at the local level for communities to
assess capacity and estimate resource requirements. This information on
substance use and mental health services has assisted communities to
better respond to life changing events, (i.e., hurricane) and plan for
service demands in the event of a natural disaster (i.e., earthquakes).
SAMHSA also maintains the Inventory of Substance Use and Mental
Health Treatment Facilities (I-TF) (previously known as the Inventory
of Behavioral Health Services [I-BHS]). The I-TF is a master list of
all known substance use and mental health treatment facilities in the
United States, and serves as the frame for the N-SUMHSS. SAMHSA is
requesting OMB approval of revisions to the N-SUMHSS and I-TF related
data collections, to include changes to the following instruments:
[[Page 64386]]
N-SUMHSS Questionnaire (Attachment A)
For this submission, SAMHSA proposes two categories of changes to
the N-SUMHSS questionnaire.
First, SAMHSA is revising the questionnaire's content on crisis
services and faith-based organizations. As part of these revisions,
three existing crisis-related questions (B12-B14) will be removed and
replaced with a new series of questions designed to collect more
detailed information about mobile crisis, community outreach,
behavioral health emergency, and crisis stabilization services. All
facilities will be asked two new screening questions to determine
whether they: (1) offer mobile crisis or community outreach services,
and (2) offer behavioral health emergency or crisis stabilization
services.
Depending on their responses to these questions, some facilities
may receive additional follow-up questions to collect information about
service models offered, services provided within those models, and the
number of individuals who received or were actively engaged in those
services during a specified reporting period.
In addition, all facilities will continue to be asked the existing
question about whether they are affiliated with a religious or faith-
based organization. SAMHSA also proposes a new question for all
facilities regarding whether they identify as a faith-based
organization.
Although these changes add new questions and data elements, they
also replace existing crisis services questions and are intended to
provide more actionable information about the availability and
characteristics of crisis and faith-based services for program
planning, policy development, and public reporting. Additional
respondent burden will be limited primarily to facilities that meet the
criteria for the applicable follow-up questions.
Second, this submission includes a limited set of targeted
clarifications to existing N-SUMHSS questionnaire items. These
revisions have been informed by respondent questions, interviewer
debriefings, and routine instrument review. They are intended to
improve question clarity and reporting accuracy by addressing ambiguous
terminology and revising language that may not align with current
SAMHSA terminology or clinical practice. These changes do not alter the
underlying constructs being measured, the scope of information
collected, or respondent burden. Rather, they are designed to address
specific known areas of respondent confusion and improve consistency
across related questionnaire items.
The clarifications address the following:
1. Ambiguity in question wording or response options that led to
inconsistent interpretation,
2. Uncertainty about whether selected items apply to a facility,
3. Inconsistent response categories across similar items, and
4. Minor instructional language needed to reinforce existing
reporting guidance.
These updates do not modify survey navigation, layout, question
order, or overall wording style
N-SUMHSS Between Cycle Questionnaire (Attachment B)
While the Mini N-SUMHSS is derived from the N-SUMHSS, it includes
only a subset of questions. Consequently, changes to the N-SUMHSS apply
to the Mini N-SUMHSS only where the affected questions are included in
the Mini.
N-SUMHSS VA Supplement (Attachment C and D)
SAMHSA is not proposing any new questions for the N-SUMHSS VA
Supplement. Proposed updates are limited to minor wording revisions to
existing VA Supplement items to ensure consistency with terminology
used elsewhere in the N-SUMHSS. These changes do not alter the content,
intent, or respondent burden of the VA Supplement.
I-TF Online State Add/Update Form (Attachment F)
The I-TF Online State Add/Update Form is used by the state user
when requesting to modify facility information in I-TF. A few fields
were added to the form, and one was deleted. These fields are
prepopulated in the form based on the N-SUMHSS responses. These changes
do not alter the content, intent, or respondent burden since the
responses are from the N-SUMHSS.
The estimated annual burden for the N-SUMHSS and I-TF activities is
as follows:
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Hours per Average
Information collection title Number of Responses per Total response Total burden hourly Total annual
respondents respondent responses (in hours) hours wage cost
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N-SUMHSS Questionnaire (either SU or MH).............. 25,000 1 25,000 0.90 22,500 $56.71 $1,275,975.00
N-SUMHSS Questionnaire (both SU and MH)............... 11,000 1 11,000 1.22 13,420 56.71 761,048.20
N-SUMHSS Between Cycle Questionnaire.................. 1,500 1 1,500 0.75 1,125 56.71 63,798.75
N-SUMHSS VA Supplement................................ 950 1 950 0.08 76 56.71 4,309.96
N-SUMHSS EHR Supplement *............................. 36,000 1 36,000 0.15 5,400 56.71 306,234.00
I-TF Facility Registration Application Form........... 1,500 1 1,500 0.08 120 32.36 3,883.20
Augmentation Screener Questionnaire................... 1,200 1 1,200 0.11 132 32.36 4,271.52
I-TF Online State Add Update Form..................... 52 50 2,600 0.08 208 32.36 6,730.88
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Totals............................................ ............ .............. 79,750 .......... 42,981 ......... 2,426,251.51
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* The N-SUMHSS EHR Supplement will be administered one time during the three-year period.
[[Page 64387]]
Send comments to SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, 5600 Fisher
Lane, Room 15E57A, Rockville, MD 20852, OR email a copy at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3f4c5e52574c5e4f4d5e7f4c5e52574c5e1157574c11585049"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="becddfd3d6cddfceccdffecddfd3d6cddf90d6d6cd90d9d1c8">[email protected]</span></a>. Written comments should be received by
December 7, 2026.
Alicia Broadus,
Public Health Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2026-20651 Filed 10-7-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P
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