Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
Florida is among the states receiving new federal funding to strengthen behavioral health services, including more than $8 million for the state's 988 suicide and crisis helplines.
The awards also include $500,000 for the University of South Florida under a federal program aimed at helping emergency departments use alternatives to opioids when treating pain. The USF project will adapt and implement protocols across Tampa General Hospital ERs.
The funds are part of $383.4 million in grants announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last week for behavioral health treatment, prevention and crisis response.
The grants, distributed through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), include $252 million for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, suicide-prevention programs and mobile crisis services.'
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Of that, Florida's Department of Children and Families, which oversees the state's 988 system, was awarded $8.03 million.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is part of a national program that provides 24-hour access to crisis support by phone, text and online chat.
The three-year federal grant is intended to improve Florida's response to calls, texts and chats coming through 988 and strengthen services for people who contact the crisis line. The award runs through September 2029.
DCF has not yet announced how the new federal money will be distributed among Florida's 988 providers. The agency can be expected to use the money for a range of activities supporting the crisis-response system, including call center operations, workforce needs and other efforts to improve the state's 988 services.
"988 has become a critical front door to behavioral health care for millions of Americans, but answering the call is only the beginning," SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher Carroll said in a statement.'
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The federal award comes after the Legislature allocated $5 million for 988 services in the 2026-27 state budget.
Nationwide, the grants also include $81.4 million for substance-use treatment and prevention and $50 million for other mental health services.
The SAMHSA program supporting the USF grant is designed to help hospitals and emergency departments use non-opioid medications and non-drug treatments, along with changes to clinical protocols and staff training, to reduce unnecessary opioid exposure and the potential for misuse or overdose.
Details about how USF and Tampa General will implement the project, including the specific pain-management protocols, were not immediately available.
HHS announced the grants on Sept. 8, or 988 Day, which is recognized to raise awareness about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and emphasizing the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.
“We are investing more than $380 million to strengthen America’s behavioral health system and help people get effective care when they need it,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “President Trump and I are committed to saving lives and helping more Americans find a path to recovery.”
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The federal agency also awarded $13.4 million for rural emergency medical services training focused on behavioral health crises.
Mental health grants also include $14.3 million for treatment and service centers focused on childhood trauma and $12.8 million to help states integrate physical and behavioral healthcare.
An additional $3.8 million will establish or expand intensive, team-based programs for people with serious mental illness.
