HHS encourages faith-based addiction recovery orgs to apply for federal funding

Just over a week after U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that faith-based organizations that meet evidence-based addiction recovery standards can apply for federal funds, his agency is now inviting those organizations to begin submitting their applications.

Responding to recent questions from The Christian Post about how the faith community has been responding since Kennedy’s announcement, an official with the HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said they look forward to partnering with the faith community to advance public health.

“SAMHSA enthusiastically welcomes faith-based organizations to join us in advancing behavioral health by applying for federal funding opportunities,” the official told CP in a statement. “Resources are available to support interested organizations navigate the application process.”

Faith organizations can review SAMHSA Notices of Funding Opportunity at the SAMHSA Grants Dashboard. Interested organizations can also check out an explainer page on how to apply for a SAMHSA grant for additional information on how they can access funding. 

In his Feb. 2 address at SAMHSA’s annual Prevention Day, the largest government-sponsored gathering dedicated to advancing the prevention of substance use, Kennedy said the Trump administration is “bringing faith-based providers fully into this work.” 

A day later, SAMHSA and the Administration for Children and Families leadership wrote a letter to colleagues, “to highlight that both agencies welcome full participation from faith-based organizations in their programs and activities,” which together encompass a collective budget of more than $138 billion.

SAMHSA has an annual grant portfolio of more than 70 formula and discretionary grant programs, usually exceeding $7 billion, while ACF manages a portfolio of more than $68 billion in discretionary and mandatory grants, the officials said.

The agencies noted that increasing access for faith-based organizations to federal funds is part of President Donald Trump’s February 2025 Executive Order 1425, which charged federal agencies and departments with facilitating the “active participation of faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship in government-funded or government conducted activities and programs.”

“Both SAMHSA and ACF fully comply with the HHS-level Grants Policy Statement which provides information on the discretionary grant awards process and cites relevant legal terms and conditions and provisions that establish ‘protections for faith-based organizations to apply and receive federal funds without discrimination or interference with their mission,’” the letter states. “HHS has adopted Department-wide regulations that require equal treatment for faith-based organizations.”

President George W. Bush’s Executive Order 13198, signed on Jan. 29, 2001, formally opened federal funding to faith-based groups. The order sought to eliminate barriers to funding for religious organizations in providing social services. Beginning with his first administration, President Trump has advanced the premise of Bush’s work by strengthening the religious freedom and autonomy of faith-based providers.

The Trump administration revoked requirements that faith-based providers offer clients who object to the religious nature of the services alternatives from secular providers. Faith-based organizations are also free to use religious criteria in hiring while using federal funds.

HHS further established a division to enforce conscience protections for faith-based organizations that allows them to opt out of services that conflict with their religious beliefs, like abortion and contraception.

“HHS has worked to champion and defend the rights of persons of faith including through its Faith Center, which seeks to ‘build partnerships with faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship, which help HHS serve individuals, families, and communities in need,’” the officials note. “Both ACF and SAMHSA similarly seek to collaborate with and fully support faith-based organizations.”