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Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness (AOT)

Link

https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-24-006

Additional Links

Notice of Funding Opportunity (Grants.gov)

Deadline

Application Deadline: Apr 26, 2024

Sponsor

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Purpose

Awards grants to implement and assess new assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) programs dedicated to treating individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMIs). Supports AOT programs, also known as involuntary outpatient commitment, that coordinate with courts and other community stakeholders to provide individuals with community-based mental health services. Seeks to improve the health and social outcomes for individuals with SMI and reduce psychiatric hospitalization, homelessness, incarcerations, and interactions with the criminal justice system for these individuals.

AOT programs should include the following components:

Evaluating the psychiatric and social needs of participants
Develop and implement treatment plans related to the medical, psychiatric and social needs, including the criteria for court-ordered treatment
Monitor participant compliance with the treatment plan
Provide case management services that support the treatment plan
Making referrals to medical and social service providers for additional services
Evaluate the program implementation process to ensure consistency with participant needs, preferences, and state law
Measuring treatment outcomes, including health and social outcomes such as rates of incarceration, health care utilization, and homelessness

A detailed list of required and allowable program activities can be found in the funding announcement.

Grantees are encouraged to address the behavioral health needs of underserved communities as defined by Executive Order 13985, including people living in rural areas and Indigenous and Native American populations.

Amount of Funding

Award ceiling:

$500,000 per year for programs serving less than 50 clients annually
$750,000 per year for programs serving more than 50 clients annually

Project period: Up to 4 years
Estimated number of awards: 20-30
Estimated total program funding: $15,229,744

Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants include:

Counties
Cities
Mental health systems, including state mental health authorities
Mental health courts
Other entities with authority under the law of the state in which the applicant grantee is located to implement, monitor, and oversee AOT programs

Applicants must operate in jurisdictions with legislative authority to carry out AOT. Applicants from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maryland are ineligible for this opportunity because these states do not have the required legislative authority.

Grants will be awarded only to applicants that have not previously implemented an AOT program.

Additional provision of service requirements include:

A provider organization for direct mental health services appropriate to the grant must be involved in the proposed project. The provider may be the applicant or another organization committed to the project. More than 1 provider organization may be involved.
Each applicant and any partner organizations must have at least 2 years' experience, as of the due date of the application, providing relevant services. Applicants that are part of court systems must demonstrate at least 2 years' experience providing specialized services for individuals with mental illness. Official documents must establish that the organization has provided relevant services for the last 2 years.
Each mental health/substance user disorder treatment provider organization must comply with all applicable local, city, county, and state licensing, accreditation and certification requirements, as of the due date of the application.

Geographic Coverage

Nationwide

What This Program Funds

New Program • Training Providers

Application Process

Application instructions, requirements, and information about the online application process can be found in funding announcement.

Applicant webinar recording and transcript
Applicant frequently asked questions

Contact

For programmatic or technical questions:
Cassandra Henry
240-276-2256
AOT@samhsa.hhs.gov

For fiscal or budget questions:
240-276-1940
FOACMHS@samhsa.hhs.gov

For grant review process and application status questions:
Arvinda Khatri
240-276-0191
arvinda.khatri@samhsa.hhs.gov

Rural Awards

Past awards communities received in fiscal year 2024 can be found on the program website.

Rural communities who have received funding include:

Cascade Community Healthcare in Centralia, Washington received funding to provide outpatient treatment under civil court order to individuals with severe mental illness (SMI), serious emotional disturbance (SED), and substance use or co-occurring disorders (SUD/COD) and who have demonstrated difficulty engaging with treatment on a voluntary basis. The target population includes individuals with low English proficiency, veterans and their families, and Medicaid recipients and uninsured or underinsured individuals of all ages.
Timber Hills Region IV Mental Health Mental Retardation Commission Inc. in Corinth, Mississippi was awarded funds to implement assisted outpatient treatment services for adults with severe mental illness (SMI) and their families residing in 5 rural, medically underserved counties in northern Mississippi. The goals of the project are to address disparities in access; reduce the incidence/duration of psychiatric hospitalization, homelessness, and incarceration; and improve health and social outcomes.

Topics This Program Addresses

Attorneys and Courts • Community Planning and Coalition Building • Housing and Homelessness • Mental Health • Re-entry and Community Supervision • Social Service Supports • Substance Use Disorder • Treatment • Violence, Trauma, and Abuse