Disaster Distress Helpline (Short Title: DDH) | SM 26 011

Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) Grant (SM 26 011) - FAQs

1) What is this funding opportunity?

This is a discretionary federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for the Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH). The purpose is to support a nationwide service that provides immediate, confidential, and easy-to-access emotional support for people impacted by disasters.

2) What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?

The Funding Opportunity Number is SM 26 011.

3) Who is the awarding agency?

The awarding agency is SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).

4) What type of award is this?

This opportunity is a cooperative agreement. That typically means SAMHSA expects substantial involvement in key aspects of the project, such as aligning operations with federal emergency response priorities, coordinating with national partners, and ensuring the helpline can scale during major events.

5) What is the primary purpose of the DDH program being funded?

The program is designed to deliver rapid, crisis-oriented emotional support that is available when people need it most. The goal is to reduce barriers to accessing help and ensure the public can reach trained support quickly and privately, especially when disaster-related stress, anxiety, grief, and trauma responses surge.

6) What kinds of events does the DDH serve?

The DDH is intended to support people experiencing psychological distress related to both natural disasters and human-caused disasters. Examples include hurricanes, floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, severe storms, mass violence incidents, large-scale accidents, and other traumatic events.

7) What populations or communities are intended to benefit from this program?

The intended beneficiaries are individuals, families, and communities across the United States who are experiencing disaster-related psychological distress.

8) Is this a nationwide program or a regional/local program?

This funding opportunity is intended to support a nationwide service, with the capability to serve diverse communities throughout the country and to scale up during major disaster activations.

9) What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is Health.

10) What CFDA listing is associated with this opportunity?

The listing is associated with CFDA number 93.532.

11) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are limited to domestic public and private nonprofit entities (listed as “Eligible Applicants: Others”). In practical terms, the applicant must be based in the United States and operate on a nonprofit basis, whether as a public nonprofit organization or a private nonprofit organization.

12) Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?

Based on the eligibility description provided, eligibility is limited to domestic public and private nonprofit entities. For-profit organizations are not included in the stated eligible applicant types.

13) How many awards does SAMHSA expect to make?

SAMHSA expects to make one award (Expected Awards: 1). This indicates SAMHSA is seeking a single lead organization to operate and manage the national-level helpline function.

14) What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling (maximum award amount) is $1,953,000.

15) What does the award ceiling represent in practical terms?

The ceiling reflects the scale of maintaining an accessible national support service and remaining ready to respond to spikes in demand during disasters.

16) When was this funding opportunity created?

The funding opportunity was created on May 15, 2026.

17) What is the application deadline?

The application window is tied to the original closing date of June 15, 2026.

18) What operational capabilities are applicants expected to demonstrate?

Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate strong operational capacity, disaster-response experience, and the ability to deliver confidential emotional support services consistently and at scale. This includes having the infrastructure and staffing needed to serve diverse communities nationwide during routine periods and during major disaster activations.

19) What does “rapid, crisis-oriented support” mean in this context?

It refers to support that can be delivered quickly during periods of acute need, focused on immediate emotional assistance for distress and crisis responses associated with disasters.

20) What does “confidential and easy-to-access” imply for the helpline service?

It indicates the service is intended to be private and designed to minimize obstacles to getting help, so people affected by disasters can reach trained support quickly without unnecessary barriers.

21) What role does SAMHSA typically play in a cooperative agreement like this?

In a cooperative agreement, SAMHSA typically has substantial involvement in key parts of the project. For this opportunity, that involvement is described as including alignment with federal emergency response priorities, coordination with national partners, and ensuring operational readiness to scale up during major events.

22) What does it mean that SAMHSA is looking for a “single lead organization”?

Because only one award is expected, SAMHSA is seeking one organization to lead and manage the nationwide helpline function rather than funding multiple separate operators for different regions.