Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming notice of $556,177 in federal funding for local mental health and substance abuse services.
This is a new grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), by application of the American Samoa Department of Health (ASDOH) for their three-year crisis response to mental health and substance abuse needs. This project is part of the nationwide 988 suicide and crisis lifeline effort.
Congress designated the new 988 dialing in 2020 during the 116th Congress (FY 2021 Appropriations) to be a major update of the former National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, then funded new and ongoing 988 lifeline projects through each year’s appropriations since, as well as boosting support through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022.
The states and territories work with the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in administering 988 projects.
Congresswoman Uifaatali said, “Thank you, especially, to Fiso Talalupelele for ensuring that American Samoa applied and qualified for this grant for these services,” said Congresswoman Amata. “It is important that a friendly, knowledgeable voice is immediately available so that response and support can be rapidly sent for anyone going through a mental health crisis.”
