HHS Secretary Tom Price M.D announced that HHS www.hhs.gov will provide $485 million in grants to help states and territories combat opioid addiction. The funding will be provided through the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grants administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (SAMHSA) www.samhsa.gov.
The funding will be issued to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, four U.S territories and the free associated states of Palau and Micronesia. The funding will support prevention, treatment, and recovery services depending on the needs of recipients. States and territories were awarded funds based on rates of overdose deaths and unmet needs for opioid addiction treatment.
To combat the ongoing opioid crisis, HHS has prioritized five specific strategies such as strengthening public health surveillance, advancing the practice of pain management, improving access to treatment and recovery services, targeting availability and distribution of overdose reversing drugs, and supporting cutting edge research.