2011-23178. Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 Funding Opportunity

AGENCY:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice of intent to award a Single Source Grant to Link2Health Solutions, Inc.

SUMMARY:

This notice is to inform the public that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) intends to award approximately $2,100,000 (total costs) for up to one year to Link2Health Solutions, Inc. the current grantee for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This is not a formal request for applications. Assistance will be provided only to Link2Health Solutions, Inc based on the receipt of a satisfactory application that is approved by an independent review group.

Funding Opportunity Title: SM-11-015.

Catalog Of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 93.243.

Authority: Section 501(d)(3) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended.

Justification: Only an application from Link2Health Solutions will be considered for funding under this announcement. One-year supplemental funding has become available to assist SAMHSA in responding to the growing and pressing need to provide a Disaster Distress Helpline for individuals stressed by the aftermath of manmade and/or natural disasters. It is considered most cost-effective and efficient to supplement the existing grantee for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and to build on the existing capacity and infrastructure within its network of crisis centers.

Link2Health Solutions is in the unique position to carry out the activities of this grant announcement because it is the current recipient of SAMHSA's cooperative agreement to manage the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. As such, Link2Health Solutions has been maintaining the network communications system and has an existing relationship with the networked crisis centers.

The crisis centers that comprise the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline are a critical part of the nation's mental health safety net. Many crisis centers are experiencing significant increases in calls and the Disaster Distress Helpline would be a free, confidential 24/7 crisis support service that connects residents who are experiencing emotional distress as a result of a disaster with a local crisis center responder. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline crisis centers require assistance to continue to play their critical role in providing support as well as emergency services to callers in distress during and after any natural or manmade disaster.

Contact: Shelly Hara, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 8-1095, Rockville, MD 20857; telephone: [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail].

Cathy J. Friedman,

Public Health Analyst, SAMHSA.