On April 20, 2020, HHS announced that SAMHSA will begin releasing $110M in emergency funding to the states to strengthen access to treatments for substance use disorders and serious mental illnesses (SMIs) during the COVID19 pandemic. The SAMSHA grants include a grant to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health & Family Services (CHFS) in the amount of $2,000,000, the maximum award to successful applicants. Kentucky’s grant will be used to treat individuals with SMI and substance use disorders, healthcare professionals and their families who require mental health care as a result of COVID19, and individuals impacted by COVID19 who are experiencing mental health disorders less severe than SMI. Details for the Kentucky grant are posted on the SAMHSA website found here. The SAMHSA grant applications were open for only 10 days, from April 1-10, 2020.