The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2020 COVID-19 Emergency Response for Suicide Prevention (Short Title: COVID-19 ERSP) grants. SAMHSA recognizes there are currently 57.8 million Americans living with mental and/or substance use disorders (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2018). Currently, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in our nation. The current national COVID-19 crisis will certainly contribute to the growth in the number of Americans needing urgent care to address mental health needs, including suicidality. Americans across the country will struggle with increases in depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, isolation, loss of employment, financial instability and other challenges, which can lead to suicide and suicide attempts. The purpose of this program is to support states and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic in advancing efforts to prevent suicide and suicide attempts among adults age 25 and older in order to reduce the overall suicide rate and number of suicides in the U.S.
SAMHSA recognizes the serious concerns for domestic violence victims that are posed by mass stay-at-home and quarantine orders. Under normal circumstances, domestic violence can lead to situations of increased stress, anxiety, depression and trauma. These are all contributing factors to risk for suicide if unaddressed. Current conditions exacerbate this situation for domestic violence victims. Given the unique situation for these particular individuals, SAMHSA is requiring that a minimum of 25 percent of direct services funding be used to support this population. This must be clearly identified in the budget narrative and justification.