FY2027 place-based behavioral health outreach grants in Washington, DC
The District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is offering competitive, applicant-facing financial assistance under RFA RM0 PBOE101626 for qualified community organizations to provide visible, sustained, data-informed outreach and behavioral health engagement in designated high-need neighborhoods. The program includes overdose prevention, harm reduction, relationship development, immediate support, resource navigation, referrals and warm handoffs to treatment and other services. The RFA was issued October 16, 2026.
Applicant-level funding
DBH anticipates up to three awards of up to $250,000 each, subject to available funds. The implied combined ceiling of $750,000 is the overall potential funding pool, not an award to one applicant. No award floor is specified. The RFA states no required matching or cost-sharing contribution. The initial performance period is expected to run December 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027; subsequent option periods are not guaranteed.
Eligibility and separate service areas
Eligible direct applicants must be District of Columbia-based community nonprofit organizations recognized under section 501(c)(3). The application requires demonstrated place-based engagement capabilities, including at least five years of relevant data-informed outreach experience, multi-location staffing and supervision, and grant/fiscal administration. Individuals and organizations that do not meet the RFA’s specific experience criteria are not eligible.
DBH identifies three geographic catchment competitions: (1) Ward 8, including Anacostia, Congress Heights and Bellevue; (2) Ward 7, including Minnesota Avenue, Benning Road and East Capitol Street; and (3) a central/north-central service area including Columbia Heights, Shaw, North Capitol Street and H Street. An applicant pursuing more than one catchment must submit a separate complete application for each. The RFA’s mapped boundaries, anchor locations and required coverage arrangements control eligibility and project design.
Eligible costs, restrictions and obligations
Allowable, justified project expenditures may include grant-supported personnel and fringe benefits, local travel, outreach and engagement supplies, communications, training, data collection, reporting and appropriate contracted services. Spending must be supported by the approved project budget and DBH grant conditions. Vehicle purchases are not permitted; general organizational expenses, supplanting and indirect-cost claims must comply with the RFA and applicable grant rules. DBH requires outcome measurement, monitoring and fiscal reporting. Funding is contingent on appropriation and award approval.
Application requirements and important deadline discrepancy
The RFA cover, funding notice, opportunity summary and several instructions give the application deadline as Friday, November 6, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Important: one late submission paragraph inside the same RFA instead refers to Friday, October 16, 2026 at 12:01 p.m. Eastern Time, which conflicts with the published November 6 closing date and the October 16 release date. The inconsistency has not been resolved in an official amendment reviewed here. Applicants should directly confirm the controlling submission cutoff with DBH rather than rely on the inconsistent paragraph alone.
The RFA directs applicants to submit separately packaged, properly labeled PDF application files by email to dbh.grants@dc.gov, following the listed subject and file requirements; ZIP files, fax and in-person deliveries are not acceptable. The package calls for the required project abstract and narrative, work plan, staffing plan, program budget and justification, applicant profile, eligibility/experience evidence, tax-exemption confirmation, current financial documentation, insurance and cyber-security policies, signed assurances and other applicable attachments. Required entity identifiers include a UEI, Tax ID and current SAM registration. Applicants must read the entire RFA and any subsequently posted amendments before applying.
Official source: DBH application package and attachments; controlling 107-page RFA RM0 PBOE101626. Research reviewed October 30, 2026. Grant facts are drawn from the agency’s official materials. The deadline inconsistency requires direct DBH clarification.