The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) created Communities Talk to prevent alcohol and other drug misuse among youth and young adults in communities nationwide. Since 2006, the initiative has provided prevention resources and planning stipends to thousands of community-based organizations, colleges, and universities.

Communities Talk activities:

Educate communities about the consequences of alcohol and other substance misuse.
Empower communities to use evidence-based approaches, to reduce alcohol and other substance misuse.
Mobilize communities around substance use prevention initiatives at the local, state, and national levels.

How much is the planning stipend?

The planning stipend is $750 and must be used to plan an activity that addresses alcohol and other substance use prevention.

When should my activity take place?

SAMHSA encourages organizations to plan Communities Talk activities throughout the year. Many organizations incorporate their Communities Talk activities with other relevant events and observances.

Choose an activity and date that supports your goals and community, but keep in mind that for planning stipends issued in 2025, your activity must take place by November 30, 2025. If you are considering an activity for 2026, please wait until the next round of planning stipends become available in January 2026 to apply.

How can I support Communities Talk without registering for a planning stipend?

If your organization can host a planning stipend, great! Please be sure to check out all that is available on our Tips and Resources webpage to support your efforts.
Engage in online conversations about alcohol and substance use prevention by using the hashtag #CommunitiesTalk on your social media accounts.
And you can always support a local activity. Consider donating goods and services to a Communities Talk hosting organization or attend the event itself. Search for local activities and contact hosts by visiting the Find an Activity page.

How can I find a Communities Talk activity near me?

Visit the Find an Activity page and click on your state or territory. You can also enter your ZIP code to view activities near you. If no activities appear, either expand the distance from your location or click on the state or territory to see its full list.

The map is updated throughout the year. Check often to get inspiration for your own activity or find organizations to connect with.

When is the next Communities Talk planning stipend cycle?

Each Communities Talk cycle begins in January and runs through the year.

ACCOUNT FAQs

Do I need to set up a new account if I registered for a Communities Talk planning stipend in the past?

Yes. Our system is updated annually.

What are the password requirements?

Passwords must contain at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number, AND one of the following special characters: !@#$*()^~&;:=_

(NOTE: The system is case-sensitive, please be sure to check for spelling errors and avoid using unwanted spaces.)

When registering, what should I set as my username?

Your username should be your most used email address.

(NOTE: The system is case-sensitive, so please be sure to check for spelling errors and avoid using unwanted spaces.)

When registering, why is a secondary contact required?

If the primary contact is unavailable or cannot be reached by e-mail, providing a secondary contact helps maintain communications.

What if I forgot my password?

If you forget your password, select the Forgot Password button found on the login screen (located on the Communities Talk home page). Then enter your registered email address. Next you will be prompted to answer your security question. Once you answer correctly, you can reset your password.

INTENT FAQs

When should I register for a Communities Talk planning stipend? Is there a deadline?

Registration for the 2025 planning stipend cycle starts on January 1, 2025. Your activity must take place by November 30, 2025.

Planning stipends are limited, so we recommend that you register as soon as possible. Please note you must complete all registration steps including uploading the most recent signed W-9 to be considered for a planning stipend. You may need to contact your finance or business department for your organization’s W-9 form.

Is there a standard format for a Communities Talk activity?

No. You can plan in-person or virtual activities (e.g., panel discussion, student presentation, roundtable, webinar, poetry slams, or health/science fairs).

However, SAMHSA recommends that Communities Talk activities:

Be open to everyone and when possible, incorporate youth in leadership roles.
Inform participants about the consequences of alcohol and other substance use.
Discuss solutions and prevention strategies with the audience.
Engage community members in pursuing measurable and inclusive prevention actions.
Lead to results that can be measured, reported, and if possible, replicated.

ACTIVITY FAQs

Can a Communities Talk activity be combined with another event?

Yes, as long as the event addresses alcohol and/or substance use prevention. For example, underage drinking prevention could be discussed along with prevention and reduction of HIV/AIDS, school and sexual violence, opioid misuse, marijuana use, e-cigarette use, mental health, or other public health problems. Your activity should aim to bring community members together (either in-person or virtually) to discuss problems, brainstorm solutions, and develop prevention strategies.

If you have questions or concerns, contact info@communities-talk.com.

Are there tips on hosting a successful Communities Talk activity?

Organizations that have held Communities Talk activities shared the following tips and prevention stories:

Connect the purpose of your activity to a specific objective (e.g., policy change, campus security, knowing signs of alcohol poisoning/blackouts, social hosting, drinking and driving) rather than to alcohol and other substance misuse alone.
Before planning your activity, familiarize yourself with the Communities Talk website.
- The Planning Toolkit offers the building blocks of getting your event or activity off the ground.
- Tips and Resources shares ideas for prevention activities and context for the issue.
- What’s New is constantly updated with the latest news on alcohol and other drug misuse and prevention efforts.
- Prevention Stories shares details on what other Communities Talk hosts have done.
If you work in a college/university environment, engage the president, student administration vice president, or student life/residential/health center staff when planning events to make sure your activity runs smoothly.
Plan follow-up actions and explore opportunities to keep the momentum going.
Share your Prevention Story with SAMHSA and be featured on the Communities Talk website. It’s a great way to promote your work and inspire others.

PLANNING STIPEND FAQs

How can the planning stipend be used?

The planning stipend helps cover the costs of planning a Communities Talk activity and other prevention efforts.
Use your planning stipend to offset key expenses, such as:

Honoraria
Facility rentals
Event equipment rentals or purchases (e.g., tables, chairs, monitors, cameras, etc.)
Promotion/Printing (e.g., posters, flyers, billboards, postcards, printers, ink, paper, etc.)
Yearly subscriptions to design software and/or email marketing platforms (e.g., Canva Pro, Adobe Suites, Mailchimp, etc.)

Your planning stipend cannot be used for items to entice or recruit participants, such as:

Food and beverages
Door prizes
Giveaway items/promotional products (e.g., masks, T-shirts, baseball caps, coffee mugs, or anything not specifically related to conducting your activity)

For other ideas, please contact info@communities-talk.com.

Can my organization receive multiple planning stipends?

Limited funding allows only one planning stipend per organization; organizations cannot pool multiple planning stipends to conduct one large-scale Communities Talk activity. However, your organization can use your planning stipend to conduct multiple activities—for example, a series of two webinars. Affiliates of the same organization, but serving different communities, may be eligible for separate stipends.

If the planning stipend isn’t enough to cover the cost of planning my Communities Talk activity, what should I do?

Consider partnering with local businesses and asking for donations (such as free venue space or donated time vs. paid honoraria.). If you are transparent about how much you are able to spend and what you cannot cover, you may be surprised at what individuals and organizations are willing to offer.

Are Communities Talk event planning stipends federal grants, for accounting purposes?

Planning stipends for registered host organizations are not federal grant or program funds and have no CFDA (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, now called Assistance Listings) number. Instead, planning stipends come out of the budget for SAMHSA’s Substance Use Disorder Prevention Education Initiatives contract.

My organization would like to host a Communities Talk activity, but planning stipends are no longer available. What are my options?

Your organization can still host a prevention activity without a planning stipend:

Consider partnering with local businesses and ask for small donations (financial or goods/services).
Partner with another Communities Talk activity host in your area. Check out the Communities Talk Activity Map.
Check out our FREE customizable Communities Talk materials and planning guides on the Tips and Resources webpage.
Engage in online conversation about alcohol and other substance use prevention by using the hashtag #CommunitiesTalk on your social media accounts.

Note: If you coordinate an activity, please submit your activity details on the Communities Talk website. Your activity will be included in the Find an Activity map to show your commitment to substance use prevention and be inspired by other communities across the nation!