SAMHSA Submits Mental Health Data Forms for Approval
Published Date: 11/24/2025
Notice
Summary
SAMHSA is renewing its data collection toolkit for the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program, which helps states, territories, and tribes support disaster survivors with counseling and education. This update affects communities recovering from disasters like wildfires and hurricanes, ensuring better tracking of services without adding extra costs or delays. The program keeps helping millions bounce back after tough times with quick, caring support.
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Crisis Counseling Toolkit Reinstated
SAMHSA is renewing the Data Resource Toolkit used for the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP), which provides supplemental funding to states, territories, and tribes after a presidentially declared major disaster. The CCP has provided services to millions over more than 40 years and recent grants covered nearly all 50 states, 5 territories, and at least 4 tribes, including responses to Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 and the Maui wildfire in 2023.
Form Updates for Data Consistency
The Individual Encounter Log, Group Encounter Log, and ARTs were updated to align race and ethnicity collection with updated OMB guidance, to align sex collection with White House guidance, and to update adult age collection to SAMHSA conventions. The Child/Youth ART’s PTSD assessment was updated to the validated abbreviated UCLA PTSD Reaction Index for DSM-5, and the Group Log added a question about primary language.
Estimated Time Burden on Providers
SAMHSA estimates total annualized burden of 32,784 hours across an estimated 8,000 respondents and 227,200 total responses for the toolkit instruments. Example instrument estimates include 160,000 individual encounter responses (0.13 hours each) and 41,600 weekly tally responses (0.20 hours each).
Removal of Sensitive Questions
The revised forms remove the question about recent immigration and remove the question about suicidal ideation from the Assessment and Referral Tools. The Participant Feedback Survey now explicitly states the form is voluntary, allows respondents to skip questions, and adds a "prefer not to answer" option.
New Referral Options and Wording Changes
Forms add a separate referral option for "FEMA-funded programs," change wording from "self-help groups" to "self-help or support groups," add "stress management" examples, and in Child/Youth ART use the terms "caregiver" and "child or youth." Assessment tools are typically used beginning 3 months after a disaster, and Participant Feedback and Service Provider Feedback are sampled biannually at 6 months and 1 year after the disaster.
National Database Enables Program Reports
Data from the toolkit are entered via mobile or paper forms and uploaded to a national database that links data collected across CCPs. This linked database allows SAMHSA CMHS and FEMA to produce summary reports of services provided across all funded programs.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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