Alaska opens comment on 2027 behavioral health block grant, but lists a 2025 deadline

Alaska's Division of Behavioral Health is taking public comment on the state's application for federal mental health and substance use funding, but the deadline printed in the notice, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2025, at 5 p.m. AKDT, comes before the notice's own publication date of Aug. 12, 2026. The year appears to be a typographical error. Aug. 26 falls on a Wednesday in 2026, but fell on a Tuesday in 2025. The division has not clarified whether the intended deadline is Aug. 26, 2026, and the notice itself describes the comment period as ongoing. The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration required Alaska's federal fiscal year 2027 combined Mental Health Block Grant and Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services application by Sept. 1, 2025.

The application outlines Alaska's grant funded goals, priorities and strategies for addressing the behavioral health needs of Alaskans through mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery services. The division said it will keep revising sections of the application with stakeholder input. Comments may be submitted by email to [email protected] with the subject line "MHBG/SUPTRS Public Comment."

The draft is posted on SAMHSA's WebBGAS platform, which the notice says can be viewed using the public username "citizenak" and the password "citizen." After logging in, users select View an Existing Application, click the link for the 2027 Combined MHBG/SUPTRS BG Application/Behavioral Health Assessment and Plan, then select View Application to review each section.

The Division of Behavioral Health oversees programs including 988 and the Crisis Careline, Therapeutic Courts, the Alcohol Safety Action Program, and suicide and substance abuse prevention work.

Alaska News previously reported that after provider feedback about system readiness, the division paused its FY27 grant overhaul and agreed to keep the existing CBHTR Outpatient and Residential programs running for two additional years.