HHS announces first-ever behavioral health recovery innovation challenge

On May 18, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced its first-ever behavioral health Recovery Innovation Challenge. The goal of this challenge is to identify innovations that advance recovery developed by peer-run or community-based organizations and their partners such as county or state governments, health systems, hospitals or health plans. SAMHSA is seeking to use the challenge to directly engage with a larger and more diverse number of organizations providing recovery services throughout the state and local continuum of care for behavioral health.  

SAMHSA defines recovery as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential. This challenge will allow counties to share details about innovative practices and models being used to promote recovery on the ground, demonstrate how these innovations have expanded upon SAMHSA’s definition and overcome challenges in incorporating recovery into their services or systems. 

Recently, SAMHSA established an Office of Recovery to advance the agency’s commitment to supporting recovery for all Americans. The Office of Recovery will serve as a resource for recovery services across the mental health and substance use domains and will promote recovery in partnership with recovery community leaders to resolve barriers to system transformation. 

The Challenge provides $400,000 and will offer up to ten awards. The deadline for submission is July 15, 2022. All submission materials must be submitted through the SAMHSA Recovery Innovation Challenge page on the U.S. Challenge website. 

For more information, view SAMHSA’s Recovery Innovation Challenge webpage. For any questions regarding the challenge, email [email protected].