Initiation of a Mental Health Family Navigator Model to Promote Early Access, Engagement and Coordination of Needed Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents (R01 Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 21 291

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 291

This National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity, issued by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), supports research to create and rigorously test a "mental health family navigator" model aimed at helping children and adolescents get connected to the right mental health care earlier, stay engaged in care, and receive better coordinated services once symptoms first appear. It is a reissue of an earlier announcement (PAR-18-428) and is structured as an R01 grant mechanism with a clinical trial required, meaning applicants are expected to run a controlled study that evaluates the impact of the navigator approach on meaningful outcomes.

NIMH uses the term "family navigator model" to describe a trained health care professional or paraprofessional who actively guides youth and families through the mental health care process. The navigator is not simply providing information; the role involves deploying practical strategies to rapidly engage families, reduce delays to entering treatment, and help families move through complicated systems of referrals, eligibility requirements, and service options. A key expectation is that the navigator works closely with both the family and the broader network of involved providers (for example, outpatient clinicians, school-based supports, primary care, community agencies, and other service systems) to optimize care coordination rather than leaving families to manage this on their own.

A major emphasis of the announcement is early identification and early action. The funded research should focus on what happens as soon as mental health symptoms are detected, rather than waiting until problems become severe or chronic. NIMH is looking for navigator models that can help determine the best personalized "match" between a young person and the appropriate level of care, including decisions about the amount, frequency, and intensity of services. In practical terms, that can mean helping families understand and access a stepped-care approach, ensuring the youth receives services that are not too little (ineffective) or too much (burdensome or misaligned), and adjusting care plans when symptoms or functioning change over time.

The FOA also highlights interest in models that incorporate coordination strategies and monitoring tools that track progress. Applicants are encouraged to consider using novel technologies to monitor clinical symptoms, daily functioning, and behavioral outcomes over time, and to use that information to support timely care adjustments. The intent is not technology for its own sake, but technology that strengthens the navigator function by improving follow-up, measurement-based care, communication across providers, and visibility into whether the youth is actually improving and receiving services as intended.

This opportunity is published in parallel with a companion R34 announcement, which typically supports earlier-stage or pilot work, while the R01 is designed for a more definitive effectiveness and implementation evaluation. In other words, the R01 is meant for projects ready to test outcomes at a stronger level of rigor and to examine not only whether the navigator model works, but also how it can be implemented in real-world settings.

The program is listed under CFDA 93.242 and falls within the NIH health research category. It is a discretionary grant funding instrument. The listed award ceiling is $500,000, indicating the maximum funding level presented in the source summary. The original closing date shown in the record is 2023-01-06, and the FOA record creation date is 2021-08-03. (Applicants would still need to verify current due dates and active receipt cycles in the official NIH listing, since NIH opportunities can have multiple receipt dates or be reissued again.)

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of US-based organizations and governments that can conduct health research. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly notes interest in applications from a range of institution types and community-based entities, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and US territories or possessions.

At the same time, the FOA is clear about restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-US) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of US organizations are not eligible, and foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. In effect, projects must be fully domestic in organizational structure and project components, consistent with the stated eligibility limitations.

Overall, the opportunity is focused on building evidence for practical, scalable navigation approaches that help families overcome common barriers in the youth mental health care pathway: delays in identifying symptoms, difficulty finding appropriate services, poor follow-through after referrals, fragmented care across systems, and lack of ongoing monitoring. Competitive projects under this FOA would be expected to specify the navigator model in detail (who the navigators are, what strategies they use, and how they interact with families and providers), define clear outcomes related to access, engagement, coordination, and clinical or functional improvement, and run a clinical trial that tests both effectiveness and real-world implementation considerations.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Initiation of a Mental Health Family Navigator Model to Promote Early Access, Engagement and Coordination of Needed Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents (R01 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-08-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-01-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

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