SAMHSA: Leading the Way to Behavioral Health for All

SAMHSA is dedicated to executing strategic priorities by actively responding to Departmental and Administration objectives.We leverage data, expertise, resources, training, and technical assistance to advance the following:

Preventing substance misuse, abuse, and addiction
Addressing serious mental illness
Expanding crisis intervention care and services
Improving access to evidence-based treatment for mental illness, substance use, and co-occurring disorders
Helping individuals achieve long-term recovery and sobriety
Identifying and addressing emerging behavioral health threats

SAMHSA is actively implementing these priorities through programs and interventions such as:

HEP-C Initiative (addressing chronic disease)
State Opioid Response Grant supplements for recovery housing
Expanding Assisted Outpatient treatment and Civil Commitment
Dear colleague Letter ending harm reduction practices
* Convening a Technical Expert Panel on Ending Homelessness

We are committed to advancing critical behavioral health programs and services, contributing to a healthier America.

Mission

SAMHSA leads public health and service delivery efforts that treat mental illness, especially serious mental illness, prevent substance abuse and addiction, and provide treatments and supports to foster recovery while ensuring access and better outcomes for all.

Vision for a Future SAMHSA

SAMHSA is transforming into a focused,efficient,and high-impact agency aligned with the vision to make america Healthy Again. This will be achieved by promoting innovative programs and interventions addressing rising rates of mental illness, substance abuse, overdose, and suicide, and their connections to chronic diseases, homelessness, and other national challenges. Key to this effort is innovative grant making – developing tailored grants for states and communities to affect immediate and positive health changes, and measuring our success to replicate and scale effective projects.

The Critical Importance of Addressing Serious Mental illness, Youth Mental Health, and Substance Abuse

Serious mental illness, substance abuse, addiction, overdose, and suicide are evolving challenges.The increasingly toxic and unpredictable illicit drug supply – including fentanyl, nitazenes, xylazine, medetomidine, and illicit benzodiazepines – poses a meaningful threat. Together, social media and other technologies, coupled with social stressors, contribute to declining mental health and rising suicide rates among young people.

Mental illness and substance use are integral to the chronic disease crisis. Research links substance misuse and early health risk behaviors to chronic disease, addiction, and mental illness later in life, contributing to substantial health and social costs.

Our nation faces unique challenges regarding serious mental illness, youth mental health, and addiction. However, we possess the data, tools, and resolve to overcome them. By addressing these issues head-on, we can achieve the administration’s goals and create a future where individuals, families, and communities thrive.

SAMHSA’s work is guided by three cross-cutting principles: data-driven approaches, innovation, and gold-standard science.

To advance the Agency’s Mission and Six Strategic Priorities…

SAMHSA Strategic Priorities

• Decrease overdose deaths and suicide deaths
• Decrease rates of substance misuse and substance use disorders
• Decrease rates of any mental illness (AMI) and serious mental illness (SMI)
• Decrease rates of suicidal ideation
• Increase rates of treatment among individuals with substance use disorders (SUD)
• improve functionality and work-life responsibilities among people with SUD
• Increase rates of treatment among individuals with AMI/SMI
• Improve functionality and work-life responsibilities among people with SUD
• Decrease rates of homelessness among people with AMI/SMI and SUD
• Decrease rates of infectious disease transmission associated with substance misuse and mental illness (e.g., HCV, HIV, STIs)
• Increase rates of individuals in recovery for SUD
• Increase rates of individuals in recovery for mental illness

Conflicts of Interest

The public deserves unbiased science guiding health agency recommendations and SAMHSA-funded programs. SAMHSA will deprioritize organizations with conflicts of interest that compromise objectivity or integrity.

Ending subsidization of Illegal Immigration

SAMHSA prioritizes reserving Federal public benefits for american citizens and qualified aliens, complying with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) and other Federal laws. SAMHSA funds will not incentivize or subsidize illegal immigration, and programs furthering the administration’s priority to end illegal immigration will be prioritized.

Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets

SAMHSA grants will prioritize evidence-based programs and deprioritize ineffective programs, including “harm reduction” or “safe consumption” efforts that facilitate illegal drug use, consistent with SAMHSA guidance issued on July 29, 2025.

SAMHSA will deprioritize “housing first” policies lacking accountability and failing to promote treatment, recovery, and self-sufficiency. Competition among grantees will increase through a broader applicant pool, and grantees will face higher standards for reducing homelessness and increasing public safety. Federal funds for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics will reduce homelessness by supporting extensive services for individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorder, including crisis intervention, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

SAMHSA will not support drug injection sites or “safe consumption sites,” or the use or distribution of illegal drugs and associated paraphernalia.

To the extent allowable by law, SAMHSA intends to prioritize grantees in States and municipalities that actively: (i) enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use; (ii) enforce prohibitions on urban camping and loitering; (iii) enforce prohibitions on urban squatting; (iv) enforce, and where necessary, adopt, standards addressing individuals who are a danger to themselves or others, or who cannot care for themselves, through