HHS has announced $53 million in funding to 44 states, 4 tribes, and the District of Columbia. The money will be used to improve access to treatment for opioid use disorders, reduce opioid-related deaths, and strengthen drug misuse prevention efforts.
Administered by SAMHSA and the CDC, the funding supports 6 programs. Among those:
The Medication-Assisted Treatment Prescription Drug Opioid Addiction Grants will provide up to $11 million to 11 states to expand medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services. The program targets 11 states with the highest rates of primary treatment admissions for heroin and prescription opioids per capita: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Rhode Island.
The Prescription Drug Opioid Overdose Prevention Grants will provide up to $11 million to 12 states for training in preventing opioid overdose-related deaths, as well as funding the purchase and distribution of naloxone to first responders.
The Strategic Prevention Framework Partnerships for Prescription Drugs Grants will provide $9.3 million to 21 states and 4 tribes to help raise awareness about drug use and misuse. The tribes are the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Cherokee Nation, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, and the Nooksack Indian Tribe.
Launched in 2015, the funding is part of the HHS Opioid Initiative. The program concentrates on evidence-based strategies that have the most impact, focusing on improving prescribing practices, expanding access to MAT, and increasing the use of naloxone.