In late September 2022, United States President Joe Biden released a statement regarding what his administration has done to help battle the opioid epidemic, including awarding $1.5 billion to the states and territories.
Funding
The $1.5 billion in awards came through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and were given to support the states, tribal lands, and territories’ efforts to address the opioid crisis and support those in recovery from addiction. The grants provided funding the increase access to treatment for substance use disorder, remove barriers to public-health interventions (such as naloxone), and expand access to recovery support services. The funding will also go towards increased investments in overdose education, peer support specialists in emergency rooms, and other strategies that states find save lives.
In addition, HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) gave more than $104 million to public, private, and non-profit entities to expand access to treatment and prevention services for substance use disorder in rural communities. This funding comes through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) and will help to create new sites with medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in rural communities, support workforce mentorship and training, and provide finances for education and outreach to prevent and treat substance use disorder. Of the $104 million, $10 million will go towards establishing new medication assisted treatment access points for substance use; $65 million will go towards workforce development and training, telemedicine, health care integration, and family support services; and $29 million will go toward improving rural residents’ access to quality, integrated behavioral health care services.
HHS and SAMHSA have also awarded $20.5 million in grant funding to organizations that connect individuals with substance use disorders to community resources. This will help those in the drug court system restabilize their lives by expanded treatment and prevention programs as well as increased access to community behavioral health promotion services.
In April 2022, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced a $275 million budget for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program to provide support to law enforcement officials who work to dismantle the drug trafficking industry. Then, in September 2022, to further support this goal, ONDCP announced an additional $12 million to support these programs to prevent overdoses and gun crimes associated with drug trafficking.
Guidance and Resources
In September 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released guidance aimed at facilitating the distribution of FDA-approved naloxone products to underserved communities. The guidance helps address some of the long-standing obstacles that have prevented access to naloxone and might help community-based programs to obtain FDA-approved drugs directly from manufacturers and distributors.
The Employment and Training Administration within the Department of Labor launched a Recovery-Ready Workplace Resource Hub that includes resources for businesses and others that wish to explore the benefits of becoming recovery-ready workplaces. The Hub will continue to be updated and expanded as time goes on.
Conclusion
President Biden’s FY 2023 budget request involves a historic $42.5 billion for National Drug Control Program agencies. He believes that “significant increases in funding” are important, with funding being spread between research, prevention, treatment, and recovery support services, including targeted investments to meet the needs of those who are most at risk for overdose and substance use disorder.
“The overdose epidemic continues to take too many lives and leave too many loved ones heartbroken – including in our rural communities,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Biden-Harris Administration has made addressing the nation’s addiction and overdose epidemic a top priority, and at HHS we are taking every opportunity to ensure everyone – no matter who they are or where they live – has access to the critical care and support they need. This funding will help communities save lives by expanding treatment opportunities and prevention for substance use.”