Downloadable files

Application Information:

Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) & Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)

Request for Applications (RFA)

Download RFA

SM 04-001:

Minority Fellowship Program

Short Title: MFP

Word Document

Acrobat Document

Key Dates:

The mental health and substance abuse needs of minority communities within the United States have been historically underserved by trained practitioners sensitive to the cultural issues or equipped with the language skills that impact effective services delivery. In 1974, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) established the MFP to enhance services to minority mental health professionals in psychiatry, nursing, social work, and psychology. In 1992, SAMHSA was established, and the MFP was transferred from NIMH to CMHS in SAMHSA.

While ethnic minority groups continue to increase in absolute numbers and as a proportion of the general population (more than 25 percent), the number of professionally trained minority mental health providers and service researchers (currently around 8 percent) is not increasing in a similar manner. Moreover, relatively few minority students pursue higher professional degrees. The lack of trained ethnic minority professionals is considered to be a significant factor in the lack of access and utilization of minority communities to appropriate health care, including mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention services.

Eligible applicants are limited to the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Psychiatric Association (ApA), American Psychological Association (APA), and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). These professional organizations have unique access to students entering their respective professions. The fields of psychiatric nursing, psychiatry, psychology, and social work have been recognized nationally for decades as the four core behavioral health disciplines, providing part of an essential core of services for individuals with serious mental illness and also less severe mental disorders. The ANA, ApA, and APA are the largest national professional organizations in the country for nursing, psychiatry, and psychology, respectively. The ANA, ApA, and APA and their affiliates have activities in all major areas of national policies affecting nursing, psychiatry, and psychology as professions, including education and training. In the field of social work, the CSWE is the leading national organization that focuses just on the education and training of social workers, and it maintains a close working relationship with the National Association of Social Workers, the largest professional social work organization in the country.

It is expected that $3.3 million will be available for up to 4 Minority Fellowship Program awards in FY 2004.  Annual awards are expected to be up to $950,000 per year in total costs (direct and indirect).  Applicants may request a project period of up to 3 years.

Proposed budgets cannot exceed $950,000 in any year of the proposed budget.  Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, grantee progress in meeting project goals and objectives, and timely submission of required data and reports.

SAMHSA applications are peer-reviewed, according to the review criteria listed in the RFA. For those programs where the individual award is more than $100,000, applications also must be reviewed by the appropriate National Advisory Council.

Cost-sharing is not required.

For questions on program issues, contact:

	Paul Wohlford, Ph.D., Project Officer
	Div. of State & Community Systems Development
	Center for Mental Health Services
	5600 Fishers Lane, 15C-26
	Rockville, MD 20857
	(301) 443-3503
	E-Mail: pwohlfor@samhsa.hhs.gov

or

	Herbert Joseph, Ph.D., M.P.H., Alternate Project Officer
	Div. of State & Community Systems Development
	Center for Mental Health Services
	5600 Fishers Lane, 15C-26
	Rockville, MD 20857
	(301) 443-4257
	E-Mail: hjoseph@samhsa.hhs.gov

For questions on grants management issues, contact:

	Gwendolyn Simpson
	SAMHSA/Division of Grants Management
	5600 Fishers Lane, Room 13-103
	Rockville, MD 20857
	(301) 443-4456
	E-mail:  Gwen.Simpson@samhsa.hhs.gov

Documents needed to complete an application for this grant opportunity:

Download RFA:

The complete

• Download as Word Document

• Download as Acrobat Document

PHS 5161-1 (revised July 2000): Includes the face page, budget forms, assurances, certification,  and checklist.

SF 424

Applications that are not submitted on the required application form will be screened out and will not be reviewed.

Additional materials available on this web site include:

• A technical assistance manual for potential applicants: Developing Competitive SAMHSA Grant Applications

• Standard terms and conditions for SAMHSA grants;

• Guidelines and policies that relate to SAMHSA grants (e.g., guidelines on cultural competence, consumer and family participation, and evaluation); and

• Enhanced instructions for completing the PHS 5161-1 application.

An application will be sent to each of the four eligible applicants.  Also, you may request a complete application kit by calling one of SAMHSA=s national clearinghouses:

• For substance abuse prevention or treatment grants, call the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) at 1-800-729-6686.

• For mental health grants, call the National Mental Health Information Center at 1-800-789-CMHS (2647).