Opportunity Information: Apply for SM 21 006
Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) State Education Agency Grants, also referred to as AWARE-SEA, is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). The program is designed to help states strengthen how schools and youth-serving systems identify mental health needs early, respond appropriately, and connect students and families to effective supports. At its core, the grant is about building or expanding statewide capacity so that mental health promotion, early identification, and service linkage become more consistent and better coordinated across state and local education and mental health systems.
The purpose of AWARE-SEA is organized around three main goals. First, it aims to increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth, which typically means improving mental health literacy and reducing stigma so students, families, and school communities can recognize concerns and feel more comfortable seeking help. Second, the program supports training for school personnel and other adults who regularly interact with students, with an emphasis on helping them detect mental health issues and respond in a timely, appropriate way. This can include educators, administrators, school support staff, and other adults connected to the school environment who may be well-positioned to notice changes in behavior, mood, attendance, or academic performance. Third, the grant prioritizes stronger connections to care, meaning states and participating districts are expected to improve referral pathways and link school-aged youth who may have behavioral health conditions, including serious emotional disturbance (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI), and their families to needed services in their communities.
A defining feature of the opportunity is its required partnership structure. State Educational Agencies (SEAs) are expected to work in close collaboration with State Mental Health Agencies (SMHAs) that oversee services for school-aged youth, and to implement the work in coordination with three local education agencies (LEAs). The emphasis on SEA-SMHA-LEA collaboration reflects SAMHSA's focus on systems-level change rather than isolated school projects. The intent is to align policies, practices, training approaches, and referral and service coordination mechanisms so that students experience a more seamless continuum of support. SAMHSA also signals that the program should promote healthy youth development and contribute to violence prevention, largely by improving prevention, early identification, and access to appropriate behavioral health supports.
From the funding notice details, this opportunity was released under Funding Opportunity Number SM-21-006 and is associated with CFDA 93.243, within the health funding activity category. The posting date (creation date) was December 15, 2020, with an original application deadline of February 15, 2021. SAMHSA anticipated making about five awards under this competition, with an award ceiling listed at $9,943,394. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," but the program description makes clear that the intended applicants are State Educational Agencies working in required partnership with the state mental health authority and selected local districts.
Overall, AWARE-SEA is aimed at helping states create stronger, more coordinated school mental health ecosystems by combining awareness-building, workforce training for the adults closest to students, and improved pathways to behavioral health services for youth and families. The program is structured to encourage durable collaboration between education and mental health systems at both the state and local levels, with the broader goal of supporting student wellness, resiliency, and safe school communities.Apply for SM 21 006
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) State Education Agency Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.243.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 15, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 15, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $9,943,394.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Project AWARE (AWARE-SEA) Grant FAQs
What is the Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) State Education Agency Grants program?
Project AWARE State Education Agency Grants, commonly called AWARE-SEA, is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). It is designed to help states strengthen how schools and youth-serving systems identify student mental health needs early, respond appropriately, and connect students and families to effective supports.
What is the overall purpose of AWARE-SEA?
AWARE-SEA focuses on building or expanding statewide capacity so mental health promotion, early identification, and service linkage become more consistent and better coordinated across state and local education and mental health systems. The program emphasizes systems-level change rather than isolated school-by-school efforts.
What are the main goals of the AWARE-SEA program?
The purpose of AWARE-SEA is organized around three main goals: (1) increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth (including mental health literacy and stigma reduction), (2) train school personnel and other adults who interact with students to detect and respond to mental health issues in a timely, appropriate way, and (3) strengthen connections to care by improving referral pathways and linking youth and families to needed community services.
What does "increase awareness of mental health issues" mean in this grant context?
Within AWARE-SEA, increasing awareness typically includes improving mental health literacy and reducing stigma so students, families, and school communities can better recognize concerns and feel more comfortable seeking help.
Who is the training intended for?
The training component is intended for school personnel and other adults who regularly interact with students. This can include educators, administrators, school support staff, and other adults connected to the school environment who may notice changes in behavior, mood, attendance, or academic performance.
What kinds of student needs is the program trying to identify and address?
The program is intended to help adults detect mental health issues among school-aged youth and improve how youth with behavioral health conditions are connected to appropriate supports. The notice specifically references youth who may have behavioral health conditions, including serious emotional disturbance (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI).
What does "connections to care" mean under AWARE-SEA?
"Connections to care" refers to strengthening pathways for referral and service linkage so that school-aged youth who may need behavioral health supports, and their families, are connected to effective services available in their communities.
Is AWARE-SEA meant to fund individual school projects or broader systems work?
The opportunity is structured to support systems-level change. SAMHSA emphasizes aligning policies, practices, training approaches, and referral and service coordination mechanisms across education and mental health systems, rather than supporting isolated projects in a single school.
Who is expected to apply for this grant?
The program description indicates the intended applicants are State Educational Agencies (SEAs). While eligibility is listed broadly as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," the description makes clear SEAs are expected to lead the application and implementation in required partnership with the state mental health authority and selected local districts.
What partnerships are required to carry out AWARE-SEA?
A defining feature of the opportunity is the required partnership structure. State Educational Agencies (SEAs) are expected to collaborate closely with the State Mental Health Agency (SMHA) that oversees services for school-aged youth and implement the work in coordination with three Local Education Agencies (LEAs).
How many local education agencies (LEAs) are involved?
The program calls for implementation in coordination with three LEAs.
Why does the grant emphasize SEA-SMHA-LEA collaboration?
The collaboration requirement reflects SAMHSA's focus on coordinated, durable systems change. The intent is to align education and mental health policies and practices, coordinate training approaches, and improve referral and service coordination so students experience a more seamless continuum of support across school and community settings.
Which federal agency administers AWARE-SEA?
The grant is administered by HHS through SAMHSA, specifically the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this competition?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is SM-21-006.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 93.243.
What funding activity category is this program under?
The notice indicates this opportunity is within the health funding activity category.
When was this funding opportunity posted?
The posting (creation) date provided is December 15, 2020.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline listed was February 15, 2021.
How many awards did SAMHSA anticipate making?
SAMHSA anticipated making about five awards under this competition.
What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The award ceiling listed is $9,943,394.
Does the program connect to violence prevention or school safety goals?
Yes. SAMHSA signals that the program should promote healthy youth development and contribute to violence prevention, largely through prevention, early identification of needs, and improved access to appropriate behavioral health supports.
What outcomes is AWARE-SEA trying to support at a high level?
At a high level, AWARE-SEA aims to support student wellness and resiliency and help create safe school communities by improving awareness, strengthening adult capacity to respond early, and building better coordinated pathways to services.
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