Opportunity Information: Apply for SM 20 016
Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education) - State Education Agency grants, often shortened to AWARE-SEA, is a discretionary federal grant opportunity run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, specifically through SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). The FY 2020 competition (Funding Opportunity Number SM-20-016; CFDA 93.243) is designed to help State Educational Agencies strengthen or scale up statewide systems that support student mental health, with an emphasis on practical, coordinated action across education and behavioral health partners.
The central goal of AWARE-SEA is to build or expand the capacity of a State Educational Agency by requiring real partnership with the State Mental Health Agency that oversees services for school-aged youth and by working directly with three local education agencies. Through this state-local structure, the program aims to make student mental health support more consistent and more accessible across a state, rather than leaving districts to operate in isolation. SAMHSA frames the work as a collaborative effort across state and local systems to promote healthy youth development and reduce risk factors associated with youth violence, using prevention, early identification, and effective connections to care as key strategies.
The program’s purpose is broken into three major expected outcomes. First, it seeks to increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth, meaning schools and communities should become better informed about common mental health concerns, warning signs, and the importance of early support. Second, it prioritizes training for school personnel and other adults who interact with school-aged youth so they can better detect potential mental health challenges and respond appropriately. This typically implies building a broader network of informed adults beyond school mental health staff alone, such as administrators, teachers, counselors, school resource staff, and other youth-facing adults who may notice changes in behavior or functioning. Third, AWARE-SEA is intended to improve the pathway from identification to services by connecting students who may have behavioral health needs, including serious emotional disturbance (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI), and their families to appropriate supports and treatment. In practice, this means improving referral processes, coordination, and follow-through so that recognizing a concern in a school setting leads to timely help rather than a dead end.
In terms of funding and scale, SAMHSA projected 17 awards under this opportunity, with an award ceiling listed as $31,492,000. The grant mechanism is a standard grant instrument under the health funding activity category. The opportunity was created on April 21, 2020, with an original closing date of April 23, 2020, indicating a short application window in the source listing. Eligibility is described broadly in the notice as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced as being in a separate text field, but the program itself is explicitly structured around State Educational Agencies working in partnership with State Mental Health Agencies and three local education agencies.
Overall, AWARE-SEA is essentially a state-led effort to strengthen school-based mental health infrastructure by improving awareness, expanding the number of trained adults who can recognize and respond to concerns, and creating stronger connections to services for students and families. The emphasis on partnership and coordination signals that SAMHSA is looking for applicants to align education and mental health systems so schools are better positioned to support student wellness, resilience, and early intervention, while also contributing to broader prevention goals such as reducing the likelihood of youth violence through improved supports and timely care.Apply for SM 20 016
- 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 Resilience in Education) - State Education Agency (SEA) grants (Short Title: AWARE-SEA)" 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 Apr 21, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 23, 2020. (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 $31,492,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 17 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FAQs: Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education) - State Education Agency Grants (AWARE-SEA), FY 2020
What is the AWARE-SEA grant opportunity?
Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education) - State Education Agency grants (often called AWARE-SEA) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity designed to help strengthen or scale up statewide systems that support student mental health. The FY 2020 competition is identified as Funding Opportunity Number SM-20-016 and CFDA 93.243.
Which federal agency runs AWARE-SEA?
AWARE-SEA is run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is administered through SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS).
What is the central goal of AWARE-SEA?
The central goal is to build or expand the capacity of a State Educational Agency to support student mental health statewide by requiring real partnership with the State Mental Health Agency (the agency overseeing services for school-aged youth) and by working directly with three local education agencies. The state-local structure is intended to make student mental health supports more consistent and accessible across a state, rather than leaving districts to operate in isolation.
What types of partnerships are expected under this program?
The program is framed as a coordinated effort across education and behavioral health partners. It specifically requires a State Educational Agency to partner with the State Mental Health Agency that oversees services for school-aged youth, and to work directly with three local education agencies as part of the structure for implementing and scaling statewide approaches.
How many local education agencies are involved in the required state-local structure?
Based on the information provided, the program requires working directly with three local education agencies.
What problems is AWARE-SEA trying to address?
AWARE-SEA focuses on improving how schools and statewide systems support student mental health through prevention, early identification of needs, and effective connections to care. SAMHSA also ties this work to reducing risk factors associated with youth violence by strengthening supports and improving timely access to appropriate services.
What are the major expected outcomes of AWARE-SEA?
The purpose is described through three major expected outcomes: (1) increasing awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth; (2) prioritizing training for school personnel and other adults who interact with school-aged youth so they can detect potential mental health challenges and respond appropriately; and (3) improving pathways from identification to services by better connecting students and families to appropriate supports and treatment.
What does "increase awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth" mean in this context?
It means schools and communities become better informed about common mental health concerns, warning signs, and the importance of early support for school-aged youth.
Who is expected to receive training under AWARE-SEA?
The program prioritizes training for school personnel and other adults who interact with school-aged youth. The description indicates this can include a broader network beyond school mental health staff alone, such as administrators, teachers, counselors, school resource staff, and other youth-facing adults who may notice changes in student behavior or functioning.
What does "improving the pathway from identification to services" involve?
It refers to strengthening the process that connects students who may have behavioral health needs (including serious emotional disturbance (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI)) and their families to appropriate supports and treatment. In practice, this is described as improving referral processes, coordination, and follow-through so that identifying a concern in a school setting leads to timely help.
Which student needs are specifically mentioned in the opportunity description?
The description mentions behavioral health needs, including serious emotional disturbance (SED) and serious mental illness (SMI), in the context of improving connections to supports and treatment for students and families.
How does AWARE-SEA relate to youth violence prevention?
SAMHSA frames the work as promoting healthy youth development and reducing risk factors associated with youth violence. The strategies tied to this include prevention, early identification, and effective connections to care.
How many awards were projected for the FY 2020 competition?
SAMHSA projected 17 awards under this opportunity.
What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is listed as $31,492,000.
What type of grant mechanism is used for AWARE-SEA?
The opportunity uses a standard grant instrument under the health funding activity category.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) and CFDA number for this competition?
The FY 2020 competition is identified as Funding Opportunity Number SM-20-016 and CFDA 93.243.
When was the opportunity created and when did it close (based on the listing)?
The opportunity was created on April 21, 2020, and the original closing date listed was April 23, 2020, reflecting a very short application window in the source listing.
Who is eligible to apply (based on the information provided)?
Eligibility is described broadly in the notice as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced as being in a separate text field. However, the program itself is explicitly structured around State Educational Agencies working in partnership with the State Mental Health Agency that oversees services for school-aged youth and working directly with three local education agencies.
Is AWARE-SEA focused on district-by-district efforts or statewide systems?
The emphasis is on statewide systems led by a State Educational Agency and implemented through coordinated partnerships at the state level and direct work with three local education agencies, aiming to improve consistency and access across the state.
What is meant by "practical, coordinated action" in this grant description?
Based on the description, it refers to aligned work across education and behavioral health partners that improves awareness, expands training for youth-facing adults, and strengthens the connection from identification of needs to services and treatment for students and families.
What is the overall intent of AWARE-SEA in plain terms?
It is a state-led effort to strengthen school-based mental health infrastructure by increasing awareness, expanding the number of trained adults who can recognize and respond to concerns, and creating stronger connections to behavioral health services for students and families through coordinated state and local partnerships.
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