Supporting Jurisdictions Applying for SAMHSA’s Assisted Outpatient Treatment Grant

Communities applying for SAMHSA’s Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) funding opportunity face an important challenge: designing sustainable programs that combine court oversight with robust behavioral health and community supports. Policy Research Associates (PRA) is offering community leaders research and technical assistance support to build evidence-backed programs.

For more than two decades, PRA has studied, advised, and evaluated AOT programs across the country. Our evaluations have helped shape the national evidence base on AOT.

AOT programs can improve outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness when they are thoughtfully designed and supported by strong and intensive community-based services. Research shows that successful AOT programs combine court oversight with coordinated behavioral health services, housing supports, and multi-system partnerships.

PRA brings a unique combination of research expertise, implementation guidance, and independent evaluation. We work with communities to co-design programs that are practical, evidence-based, and tailored to local needs. By combining implementation support with independent evaluation, PRA helps communities refine implementation strategies and generate credible outcome data that can inform policymakers and sustain programs over time.

PRA partners with jurisdictions across all phases of AOT program development, including proposal planning, implementation guidance, and rigorous program evaluation.

Our services include the following:

• Assisting jurisdictions in developing strong AOT program proposals
• Identifying performance measures that clearly demonstrate program impact
• Developing data strategies that support accountability and staff capacity
• Providing technical assistance throughout program implementation
• Conducting independent evaluations that help jurisdictions communicate outcomes to funders and policymakers

By integrating research, technical assistance, and evaluation, PRA helps jurisdictions with AOT program development strategies that improve outcomes and demonstrate measurable impact. Communities preparing SAMHSA AOT proposals are encouraged to connect with our AOT team at AOT@prainc.com to discuss how we can support your application or program implementation.