Principle Investigator:  Melissa Thomas

Project Director: Heather Mathews

Duration: Annual Formula Grant (October 1- September 30 of each year)

Summary: The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) provides grant funds to establish or expand an organized community-based system of care for providing non-Title XIX mental health services to children with serious emotional disturbances (SED) and adults with serious mental illness (SMI). States are required to submit an application for each fiscal year the State is seeking funds. These funds are used to: (1) carry out the State plan contained in the application; (2) evaluate programs and services, and; (3) conduct planning, administration, and educational activities related to the provision of services.

This grant requires a statutory maintenance of effort (MOE) to document that the State has maintained expenditures for community mental health services at a level that is not less than the average level of such expenditures maintained by the State for the 2-year period preceding the fiscal year for which the State is applying for the grant.

Section 1941 of the Block Grant legislation stipulates that as a condition of the funding agreement for the grant, States will provide opportunity for the public to comment on the State Plan. States will make the mental health plan public in such a manner to facilitate comment from any person (including Federal or other public agency) during the development of the plan (including any revisions) and after the submission of the plan to the Secretary.

Please direct comments to Heather Mathews via telephone or email at (602) 364-4632 or Heather.Mathews@azdhs.gov .

FY 2010 Community Mental Health Services Block Grant