Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Agency Overview

Summary

In recent years, Members of both chambers have introduced legislation that would reauthorize, amend, add, or eliminate programs and activities undertaken by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This report briefly summarizes SAMHSA’s major programs and activities and describes the agency’s organizational structure. The Appendix provides an overview of SAMHSA’s budget.

SAMHSA’s two biggest programs are the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG, $533 million in FY2016) and the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant (SABG, $1.9 billion in FY2016). Both block grant programs distribute funds to states (including the District of Columbia and territories) according to a formula. The states, in turn, may distribute funds to local government entities and non-profit organizations. The SABG also distributes funds to one tribal entity.

SAMHSA’s Programs of Regional and National Significance (PRNS) encompass numerous grants and activities within each of three areas:

Mental health ($407 million in FY2016): for example, suicide prevention activities, some of which are separately authorized under the Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Memorial Act (P.L. 108-355).

Substance abuse treatment ($334 million in FY2016): for example, the Pregnant and Postpartum Women program, which supports residential substance use disorder treatment services for pregnant and postpartum women.

Substance abuse prevention ($211 million in FY2016): for example, SAMHSA’s oversight of the Federal Drug-Free Workplace Program and the related National Laboratory Certification Program.

SAMHSA has three other grant programs: Children’s Mental Health Services ($119 million in FY2016), Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH, $65 million in FY2016), and Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI, $36 million in FY2016).

In addition, SAMHSA conducts surveillance and data collection, statistical and analytic support, performance and quality information systems activities, and agency-wide initiatives.

SAMHSA is organized in four centers: (1) the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS, $1.2 billion in FY2016); (2) the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT, $2.2 billion in FY2016); (3) the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP, $211 million in FY2016); and (4) the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ, $120 million in FY2016). The work of the four centers is supported by headquarters offices, regional administrators, and advisory councils and committees. SAMHSA estimates that it will support 665 full-time employee equivalents in FY2016 and FY2017.