The Faith-Based and Community Initiative (FBCI) exemplifies how successful collaborations can be formed between government programs and community or faith-driven organizations.
This initiative plays a crucial role in delivering various services, including mental health care, substance abuse prevention, and addiction recovery efforts, operating at the federal, state, and local levels.
The Role of SAMHSA
Since 1992, SAMHSA has been deeply involved in assisting and collaborating with community and faith-based groups that provide support for mental health and substance use issues.
For instance, the:
- The Community Partnership Program for Substance Abuse Prevention works with over 800 faith-driven organizations as part of its network of funded collaborators.
- Funding from both block and formula grant programs is distributed through state governments to numerous faith-centered organizations that support individuals experiencing or vulnerable to mental health challenges and substance use disorders.
- SAMHSA-backed educational initiatives and training programs equip faith-based leaders from diverse religious backgrounds with the knowledge needed to address substance use prevention, addiction recovery, and mental health services. Additionally, these efforts foster long-term, coordinated partnerships within communities across the country.
In 2000, SAMHSA became the first agency within the Department of Health and Human Services to launch a dedicated FBCI effort.
This initiative highlights the significant contributions of FBCI organizations in providing substance use prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services, especially for underserved populations and culturally diverse communities.
Additionally, SAMHSA’s FBCI Workgroup oversees efforts to support this initiative by recognizing and removing obstacles that hinder these organizations.
SAMHSA has worked extensively with faith-based and community organizations to foster resilience and aid in recovery efforts related to substance use prevention, treatment, and mental health services.
Through these collaborations, they have strengthened support systems that help individuals on their path to healing and well-being.
- Shows how community-driven initiatives at the local level can bring about meaningful improvements in individuals’ lives.
- Creates opportunities for individuals to fully integrate and participate as equal members within American society.
Building on Success
Faith-based grant programs and initiatives include:
1. Promoting Partnerships and Best Practices
Through various funding mechanisms, SAMHSA provides support for programs implemented by community and faith-based organizations at the national, state, and local levels.
- Mental health services
- Substance use prevention
- Addiction treatment
2. Youth Violence Prevention
The SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services School and Community Action Grants and Youth Violence Prevention Cooperative Agreements support community-wide initiatives aimed at:
- Eliminate youth violence and drug abuse entirely.
- Foster the positive growth and well-being of young individuals by creating environments that support their physical, emotional, and intellectual development.
- Encourage experiences that nurture their potential, strengthen resilience, and equip them with the skills and confidence needed to thrive.
- By promoting supportive relationships, empowering opportunities, and healthy habits, youth can build strong foundations for a successful and fulfilling future.
Several religious organizations benefit from these funds, among them the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation and Catholic Charities.
A vital aspect of this initiative involves fostering collaborations and community alliances to combat youth violence and support their healthy development. In several of the funded programs, members of the faith-based community play a crucial role within these cooperative efforts.
3. Increasing Access to Substance Abuse Treatment and HIV/AIDS Services
Through the Targeted Capacity Expansion HIV/AIDS program, the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) aims to expand access to substance abuse treatment and HIV/AIDS-related services in African American, Hispanic/Latino, and other racial or ethnic minority communities disproportionately impacted by these dual epidemics.
Many grantees are faith-based organizations, including AIDS Interfaith Network, Inc. in New Haven, CT, and Metro Interdenominational Church in Nashville, TN.
The SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) has also allocated funding to faith-based and community organizations to tackle HIV/AIDS within minority communities.
The primary goal is to strengthen these communities’ capacity for long-term, effective initiatives to prevent substance abuse and combat HIV/AIDS.
Additionally, CSAP has funded the Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength Village Builder’s Project—a faith-based coalition of 40 congregations in Detroit, MI—that delivers culturally relevant substance abuse prevention services to youth and families.
4. Reducing Homelessness
The Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program is funded by the SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services, which provides financial support to states and territories.
These funds are then distributed to local agencies to offer services for individuals with serious mental illnesses, including those with co-occurring substance use disorders, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Many of the agencies that receive PATH funding are faith-based.
What sets the PATH program apart is its requirement that all locally funded organizations collaborate with faith-based and community groups that support homeless individuals with serious mental illnesses.
5. Crisis Counseling
Faith communities have been instrumental in responding to tragedies, including the events of September 11, 2001.
In the past, various faith-based organizations have contributed to SAMHSA disaster response efforts.
For example, Catholic Charities provided support following the Oklahoma City bombing, Lutheran Social Services assisted in tornado-related disasters, and the Virgin Islands Baptist Church helped communities recover from hurricanes and other emergencies.
6. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Abuse Challenges and Responses for Faith Leaders
This instructional resource on substance abuse treatment for clergy and laypersons was created with two main objectives.
The first is to inform clergy about the scope and impact of alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse, the process of addiction, and modern strategies for prevention, intervention, and treatment.
The second aim is to inspire clergy to actively address substance abuse by highlighting the experiences of other faith communities that have successfully taken action.
Funding Opportunities
Details about available grant programs can be found on SAMHSA’s official website.
For additional assistance, you can also contact the SAMHSA National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information by calling 877-SAMHSA-7 (877-726-4727).
Those using TTY services may reach them at 800-487-4889.
Towards the Future
SAMHSA remains dedicated to fostering respect and collaboration with faith-based and community organizations. It will persist in its efforts to:
- Sustain comprehensive training efforts tailored specifically for local grassroots initiatives and faith-driven organizations. Ensure that these smaller entities receive ongoing support and education, enabling them to grow and thrive effectively.
- Organize discussions with religious leaders to explore concerns related to financing grants for substance abuse treatment within faith-based organizations.
- Form and sustain a collaborative team dedicated to fostering meaningful partnerships with faith organizations and local community groups to develop strategic alliances.
- Create an educational program tailored for seminary students, equipping them with the skills to counsel parents and children affected by alcoholism. This initiative will be developed in partnership with the Johnson Institute Foundation and the National Association of Children of Alcoholics. The curriculum will focus on addressing the emotional, psychological, and spiritual challenges faced by families struggling with alcohol dependency, ensuring that future faith leaders are prepared to offer compassionate and effective support.
- Facilitate discussions among small gatherings of families and congregations, focusing on topics related to mental well-being, assistance, and healing. Foster an open environment where individuals can share experiences, offer encouragement, and explore pathways toward emotional and psychological resilience.
- Formulate guidelines that effectively address the needs of state and local authorities, as well as religious institutions and service providers, as they carry out SAMHSA’s Charitable Choice requirements. Ensure full implementation of these provisions while maintaining their fundamental principles.
Resources on the web
- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees SAMHSA, has established The Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. This initiative brings together SAMHSA’s resources with programs supporting faith-based and community efforts from multiple HHS agencies. These include the Administration on Aging, the Administration for Children and Families, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Indian Health Service, the Office of Minority Health, and the Office of Population Affairs.
- The Department of Health and Human Services collaborates closely with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships to support essential aspects of the president’s agenda. These efforts encompass organizing conferences, providing technical support, and carrying out the directives outlined in Executive Order 13279, titled “Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations.” Additional details about these initiatives, along with access to the White House publication *Guidance to Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Partnering with the Federal Government*, can be found through available resources.
- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued the finalized version of the Charitable Choice regulations under the Public Health Act, covering Sections 581-584 and Section 1955 (24 U.S.C. 290 kk, et seq., and 42 U.S.C. 300x-65). This final rule reflects input gathered during the public comment period earlier this year and includes a fact sheet outlining the key provisions.