Coronavirus (COVID-19)
SAMHSA recognizes the challenges posed by COVID-19 and is providing the following guidance and resources to assist individuals, providers, communities and states. SAMHSA stands ready to assist in any manner possible.
- Coronavirus.gov
- Long COVID
- COVID-19 Guidance
- Grants
- Back to School During COVID-19
- Training and Technical Assistance Related to COVID-19
- More COVID-19 Resources
- Spanish Resources
- Disaster Distress Helpline
COVID-19 Guidance
Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs)
- 2021 Methadone Take-Home Flexibilities Extension Guidance (Updated July 2023)
- Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) Guidance (March 16, 2020) (PDF | 216 KB)
- OTP Guidance for Patients Quarantined at Home with the Coronavirus (PDF | 160 KB)
- FAQs: Provision of Methadone and Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in the COVID-19 Emergency (PDF | 202 KB)
- Sample OTP COVID-19 FAQs (PDF | 341 KB)
- Use of Telemedicine While Providing Medication-Assisted Treatment (PDF | 146 KB)
Behavioral Health Providers
- Leveraging Existing Health and Disease Management Programs to Provide Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Resources During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) (PDF | 73 KB)
- Guidance for Law Enforcement and First Responders Administering Naloxone (PDF | 117 KB)
- Letter to Treatment Providers on PPE (PDF | 543 KB)
- COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Response and 42 CFR Part 2 Guidance - 2020 (PDF | 168 KB)
Facilities
- HHS Office of Civil Rights’ Notification of Enforcement Discretion for Telehealth Remote Communications During the COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency.
- Considerations for the Care and Treatment of Mental and Substance Use Disorders in the COVID-19 Epidemic (PDF | 125 KB)
- Considerations for Crisis Centers and Clinicians in Managing the Treatment of Alcohol or Benzodiazepine Withdrawal during the COVID-19 Epidemic: March 19, 2020 (PDF | 213 KB)
- Managing Healthcare Operations During COVID-19
- COVID-19: Interim Considerations for State Psychiatric Hospitals (PDF | 210 KB)
General Public
- Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Continuous Enrollment Unwinding – Implications for Individuals Receiving Medicaid and CHIP (PDF | 320 KB)
- Virtual Recovery Resources (PDF | 98 KB)
- Double Jeopardy: COVID-19 and Behavioral Health Disparities for Black and Latino Communities in the U.S. (PDF | 427 KB)
- Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse Considerations During COVID-19 (PDF | 328 KB)
Additional Federal Guidance
- CMS: COVID -19 Considerations for Psychiatric Facilities and Immediate Care Facilities (PDF | 262 KB)
- DEA SAMHSA Buprenorphine Telemedicine (PDF | 209 KB)
- OCR Announces Notification of Enforcement Discretion for Telehealth Remote Communications During the COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency
- The Notification of Enforcement Discretion on Telehealth Remote Communications
- DEA Information on Telemedicine (PDF | 75 KB)
- Synar letter to the State Authority for Mental and Substance Use Disorders (PDF | 389 KB)
Grants
- FY 2021 SAMHSA American Rescue Plan (ARP) Funded Grants (PDF | 502 KB)
- FY 2021 SAMHSA COVID-19 Funded Grants (PDF | 449 KB)
- FY 2020 SAMHSA COVID-19 Funded Grants (PDF | 340 KB)
- COVID-19 Emergency Response for Suicide Prevention Grants
- Emergency Grants to Address Mental and Substance Use Disorders During COVID-19
Information for SAMHSA Discretionary Grant Recipients
SAMHSA is allowing flexibility for grant recipients affected by the loss of operational capacity and increased costs due to the COVID-19 crisis. Read the COVID-19 FAQs for SAMHSA Grant Recipients (PDF | 104 KB). Flexibilities are available during this emergency time period. Flexibility may be reassessed upon issuance of new guidance by the Office of Management and Budget post the emergency time period.
Re-Budgeting Request More Than 25% or $250,000
Grant recipients have the flexibility to re-budget (e.g. 25% or less of the current budget or $250,000, whichever is less) as long as the activities are allowable under the NOFO, within the scope of your grant application, and in line with the statutory requirement of the award. Grant recipients must keep documentation of all costs and SAMHSA may request this documentation during the grant period.
If the re-budgeting of funds is more than 25% of the current budget or $250,000 whichever is less, you must submit a COVID-19 post award amendment through eRA Commons.
- COVID-19 Sample Revised Budget (DOC | 25 KB)
- SAMHSA eRA Commons COVID-19 Post Award Amendment Reference Sheet (PDF | 818 KB)
If your organization incurs costs related to the cancellation of events, travel, or other activities necessary and reasonable for the performance of the award due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you may charge these costs to your award. If you have contracts with providers or other vendors, you must adhere to terms of the contract’s cancellation clause(s), as appropriate. Grant recipients should not assume additional funds will be available should the charging of cancellation or other fees result in a shortage of funds to eventually carry out the event or travel. Grant recipients are required to maintain appropriate records and cost documentation to substantiate the charging of any cancellation or other fees related to interruption of operations or services.
Back to School During COVID-19
Going back to school during a pandemic can be challenging for families and schools. These resources are designed to address mental health and resiliency in school settings.
Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Resources
- Back to School After COVID-19: Supporting Student and Staff Mental Health Toolkit
- Behavioral Health Impacts During & After COVID-19: What to Expect and Ways to Prepare for the Return to In-Person Learning
- Strengthening School Communities for a Safe, Supportive Return: Part 2
- The Managing Anxiety & Return to School
- Back-to-School Series
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Resources
- Helping Children with Traumatic Separation or Traumatic Grief Related to Covid-19
- The Power of Parenting During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Addressing Fears ad Feelings from Prior Losses
- The Power of Parenting During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Mourning the Death of a Loved One
- Supporting Children During Coronavirus (Covid19)
- Trauma-Informed School Strategies During Covid-19
National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC) Resources
- Supporting Students, Educators, and Parents as Schools Reopen
- Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month: Reconnect, Reflect, and Renew
- School Based Services Policy Learning Forums
- School Mental Health Policy for School System Leaders: The Foundational Forum
Suicide Prevention Resources
- Suicide Prevention Resources for Teens (PDF | 860 KB)
- Preventing Suicide: The Role of High School Teachers (PDF | 481 KB)
Other Federal Resources
- Supporting Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Maximizing In-Person Learning and Implementing Effective Practices for Students in Quarantine and Isolation | Department of Education
- Helping young children and parents' transition back to school | CDC
- Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools | CDC
- Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage? | The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
National Academy of Sciences Resources
Established by an Act of Congress, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. As children and youth across the U.S. are returning to school, the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education has provided resources that support students, their families, educators, and administrators as the new year starts.
Training and Technical Assistance Related to COVID-19
Technology Transfer Centers
- Technology Transfer Centers (TTC)
- Mental Health Technology Transfer Centers (MHTTC)
- Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTC)
- Prevention Technology Transfer Centers (PTTC)
Centers of Excellence
- COVID-19 Information | National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (NCEED)
- Tips to keep your telehealth visit private | Center of Excellence for Protected Health Information (CoE-PHI) (PDF | 559 KB)
- Federal Guidance for SUD and Mental Health Treatment Providers | CoE-PHI (PDF | 500 KB)
Serious Mental Illness (SMI) Adviser Resources
Provider's Clinical Support System (PCSS)
- Resources and Presentations
- Frequently Asked Questions: Treating Opioid Use Disorder via Telehealth Tips for Primary Care Providers
- Telemedicine-Delivered Buprenorphine Treatment in the Age of COVID-19 (PDF | 587 KB)
- Grief and Managing an Overdose Death (PDF | 580 KB) and Related Resource
- Young adults seeking treatment after overdosing
- Stress, Relaxation, and Mindful Breathing: A Primer
- Supporting Providers After Overdose Death
More COVID-19 Resources
- Overview of the Impacts of Long COVID on Behavioral Health
- Tips For Social Distancing, Quarantine, And Isolation During An Infectious Disease Outbreak
- TAP 34: Disaster Planning Handbook for Behavioral Health Treatment Programs
- Infectious Disease Outbreaks - Caregivers, Parents and Teachers
- Tips for Managing Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic Wallet Card
- Feeling Stressed or Anxious About the COVID-19 Pandemic?
- Are You Working to Help People Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Spanish Resources
- Feeling Stressed or Anxious About the COVID-19 Pandemic? (Spanish version) - ¿Te sientes estresado o ansioso por la pandemia de COVID-19?
- Are You Working to Help People Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic? (Spanish version) - ¿Estás trabajando para ayudar a las personas afectadas por la pandemia de COVID-19?
- Tips for Managing Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Wallet Card (Spanish version) - Consejos para manejar el estrés durante la pandemia de COVID-19 – Tarjeta de bolsillo