The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that it is opening up more than $281 million in grant funding opportunities through 15 separate programs designed to combat addiction, drug overdose, and mental illness across the country.
The funding was announced through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, known as SAMHSA. The grants are intended to support a broad range of initiatives, including treatment for substance use disorders, suicide prevention efforts, trauma-focused care, recovery services, workforce development, and training programs for first responders.
The single largest funding opportunity in the package totals $68.2 million and is aimed at expanding access to medication-assisted treatment for people struggling with opioid use disorder.
Other programs included in the announcement would fund mental health services within schools, trauma care specifically for children, and overdose response training for first responders working on the front lines of the addiction crisis.
The department also outlined funding opportunities for community-based overdose prevention, programs that combine physical and behavioral healthcare, and suicide prevention efforts on college campuses. Additional money will be available for recovery support services and educational efforts centered on federal behavioral health privacy regulations.
