The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is formally encouraging faith-based addiction recovery organizations to begin applying for federal funding, just days after Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced expanded eligibility for such groups.
An official with HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) told The Christian Post that the agency is eager to collaborate with religious organizations in addressing the nation’s behavioral health crisis.
“SAMHSA enthusiastically welcomes faith-based organizations to join us in advancing behavioral health by applying for federal funding opportunities,” the official said in a statement. “Resources are available to support interested organizations navigate the application process.”
Faith-based groups interested in applying can review Notices of Funding Opportunity through the SAMHSA Grants Dashboard. Additional guidance is available through an online explainer detailing how to apply for SAMHSA grants.
Kennedy first outlined the policy shift during his Feb. 2 remarks at SAMHSA’s annual Prevention Day event, the largest federal gathering focused on preventing substance abuse. During that address, he stated that the Trump administration is “bringing faith-based providers fully into this work.”
The following day, leaders from SAMHSA and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) circulated a joint letter emphasizing “to highlight that both agencies welcome full participation from faith-based organizations in their programs and activities,” referencing their combined annual budgets of more than $138 billion.
Officials noted that SAMHSA oversees more than 70 formula and discretionary grant programs totaling over $7 billion annually. ACF, meanwhile, manages more than $68 billion in both mandatory and discretionary funding streams.
The agencies said the increased access for faith-based groups aligns with President Donald Trump’s February 2025 Executive Order 1425, which directs federal departments to facilitate the “active participation of faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship in government-funded or government conducted activities and programs.”
Federal support for faith-based service providers dates back to President George W. Bush’s Executive Order 13198, signed Jan. 29, 2001, which sought to remove barriers preventing religious organizations from receiving government funds for social services. Trump’s administration has expanded on that framework, emphasizing protections for religious liberty and institutional autonomy.
Under current policy, faith-based providers are no longer required to refer clients who object to religious programming to secular alternatives. They are also permitted to maintain religious hiring standards while participating in federally funded initiatives.
