On August 8th the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded nearly $400 million to combat the nation’s opioid crisis. The investments will enable HRSA-funded community health centers, rural organizations and academic institutions to establish and expand access to integrated substance use disorder and mental health services.
This announcement comes during Lincoln Community Health Center’s (LCHC)
celebration of National Health Center Week. LCHC was one of twenty-seven health
centers in Oregon to receive one of these grants in the amount of $167,000 for 2019-
2020. LCHC Executive Director Rebecca McBee-Wilson shared her excitement about
this announcement.
“With this funding we plan on hiring another counselor who will be able to go out into the community to help people with substance use and mental health issues. We appreciate this opportunity to further expand our services in Lincoln County”. The awards support HHS's Five-Point Opioid Strategy. The number of patients receiving medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction at HRSA-funded health centers increased 142 percent from 2016 to 2018 and, the number of patients receiving buprenorphine, a common form of MAT, has increased 28 percent.
HRSA is awarding more than $200 million to 1,208 health centers across the nation to
increase access to high quality, integrated behavioral health services, including the
prevention or treatment of mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders,
including opioid use disorder through the Integrated Behavioral Health Services (IBHS)
program.
In addition to HRSA’s investments in community health centers, HRSA’s Federal Office of
Rural Health Policy is awarding more than $111 million to 96 rural organizations across
37 states as part of its Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) initiative.
Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, in partnership Lincoln Health & Human Services,
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians received a 3 year $1,000,000 Rural Opioid
Implementation Grant.
The only other grantee in Oregon is in Pendleton. These funds, which also include an evaluation of the initiative, will strengthen rural communities’ capacity to provide needed SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services and build the evidence base for interventions that are effective in rural settings. To learn more about RCORP, and to view the lists of recipients visit:
https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/rcorp
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