Mental Health Block Grant Set Aside

Is your organization adequately addressing the needs of people experiencing their first episode of serious mental illness?

The Fiscal Year 2014 SAMHSA appropriation (part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014) includes a new requirement within the Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG) that “States shall expend at least five percent of the amount each receives…to support evidence-based programs that address the needs of individuals with early serious mental illness, including psychotic disorders, regardless of the age of the individual at onset.”

The set aside is intended to stimulate state programming to better identify and more adequately respond to individuals who are experiencing their first episode of serious mental illness. Earlier and more assertive responses to these individuals are intended to help reduce the disability that these individuals may experience and to assist them in pursuing their life goals with appropriate treatment and support.

To support states in implementing the Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG) set aside, SAMHSA contracted with NRI and NASMHPD to partner with experts in the field to develop a series of technical assistance resources:

• Environmental Scan of Evidence-Based Practices for Treating Persons in Early Stages of Serious Mental Disorders

• Guidance Manual: Peer Involvement and Leadership in Early Intervention Psychosis Services

• Fact Sheet: Building upon Existing Programs and Services to Meet the Needs of Persons with First Episode Psychosis

• Issue Brief: Supported Education for Persons Experiencing a First Episode Psychosis

• Information Guide: Steps and Decision Points in Starting an Early Psychosis Program

• Web-Based Tutorial: Early Intervention in Psychosis - A Primer

NRI and NASMHPD also developed a series of informational webinars about the development and implementation of first episode psychosis and early intervention programs (note: links below direct to external websites):

• December 1, 2015: New Informational Resources for Addressing First Episode Psychosis - Product Overview (Coming Soon!)

• September 8, 2015:Methodological and Practical Issues in Population-Based Programming: Incidence, Engagement, Penetration, and Outreach Effectiveness

• February 11, 2015:Resource Overview - Inventory and Environmental Scan of Evidence-Based Practices for Treating Persons in Early Stages of Serious Mental Disorders

• December 16, 2014:Measuring the Impact of Early Intervention Programs for First Episode Psychosis - Experiences and Lessons Learned from Oregon and Maryland

If you are interested in learning more about how your organization can implement its mental health block grant (MHBG) set aside most appropriately, please contact NRI@nri-inc.org.