Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Update: Expanding Mental and Behavioral Health Services on College Campuses and Through State-Wide Networks - May 2006
Grant Announcements
On May 17th, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) awarded $9.6 million for Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Programs authorized under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act. Visit the SAMSHA site for a complete listing of grant recipients.
These grants will primarily be used to support state-wide early intervention and prevention strategies designed to combat suicide in the youth population. Earlier in the year, SAMHSA announced that $2.3 million would be made available for new grants to support suicide prevention activities on college campuses around the country. A second round of grants under the Campus Suicide Prevention grants is expected to be announced in the upcoming weeks.
The Campus Suicide Prevention grant program was authorized as part of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act in October 2004. The American Psychological Association’s members and Education Public Policy Office were instrumental in developing the idea for this new federal grant program, which is designed to strengthen and enhance mental and behavioral health services on college campuses. In its inaugural year, 2005, SAMHSA was able to support 22 institutions for the first year of a three year grant as part of this campus suicide prevention program. Each of these 22 grantees will receive continued funding in FY’06.
Recent Actions
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act – Funding History
| Program | FY’05 Funded | FY’06 Funded | FY’07 Authorized |
| Mental and Behavioral Health Services on Campus | $1.5 million | $5 million | $5 million |
| Youth Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention Strategies | $6.9 million | $18 million | $30 million |
| Technical Assistance Center | $1.5 million | $4 million | $5 million |
For additional information, please contact Jenny Smulson with Education Public Policy.
