Campus Suicide Prevention Grants
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

Due date: March 4, 2011

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2011 Campus Suicide Prevention grants. The purpose of this program is to facilitate a comprehensive approach to preventing suicide in institutions of higher education. This program is designed to assist colleges and universities in their efforts to prevent suicide attempts and completions and to enhance services for students with mental and behavioral health problems, such as depression and substance use/abuse that put them at risk for suicide and suicide attempts. The Campus Suicide Prevention grants supports an array of campus activities to help the grantee build a solid foundation for delivering and sustaining effective mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment services. Successful applicants will provide a coherent and detailed conceptual “roadmap” of the process by which they have assessed or intend to assess suicide prevention needs and plan/implement infrastructure development strategies that meet those needs. The plan put forward in the grant application must show the linkages among needs, the proposed infrastructure development strategy, and increased system capacity that will enhance and sustain effective prevention programs and services which support SAMHSA’s first Strategic initiative of preventing substance abuse and mental illness. The plan must also address the needs of youth at high-risk identified by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention; including, but not limited to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) youth, American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN), military family members and veterans.

As a result of the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention grants, colleges and universities will: * increase the amount of training to students, faculty and staff on suicide prevention and mental health promotion * increase collaboration among campus and community partners to deliver the message that suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility * increase the number of educational seminars and informational materials for students, faculty, staff and family members on suicide prevention, identification and reduction of risk factors such as depression and substance use/abuse * increase help-seeking among students and reduce stigma for seeking care for mental and behavioral health issues among students * increase the promotion of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Applications responsive to this Request for Application must implement evidence-based or best practices that will create or expand capacity to address the following SAMHSA Strategic Initiative: Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness - Create prevention prepared communities where individuals, families, schools, workplaces, and communities take action to prevent and reduce mental illness and substance abuse across the lifespan. The Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Program is authorized under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (Section 520E-2 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended). This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020 focus area 18 (Mental Health and Mental Disorders).

For more information: http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/2011/sm_11_002.aspx