SAMHSA now accepting applications for next round of State Opioid Response funding

Key Takeaways

On May 19, the White House announced the next round of State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding opportunities through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This two-year funding opportunity provides nearly $1.5 billion in formula funds to states, territories and jurisdictions for prevention, treatment and recovery support services for opioid use disorders (OUD), and other concurrent substance use disorders (SUD).

The SOR grant program has awarded nearly $5.2 billion to local jurisdictions since it was first authorized under the 21st Century Cures Act (P.L. 114-255) in 2016. The program was reauthorized in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 appropriations bill, and again in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-103). States can apply by July 18, 2022 for funding to support projects up to two years in duration. The funding will be issued before September 30, 2022, and includes set-aside amounts for states with the highest OUD-related mortality rates. 

Overdose deaths accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimating that more than 105,000 people died from an overdose in the 12 months ending in October 2021, the highest number ever recorded in a 12-month period. As key administrators of behavioral health services, counties will continue to play an integral role in addressing the nation’s opioid crisis, working in partnership with states to use these and other federal funding sources to develop evidence-based programs that reduce overdose deaths, close the gap in treatment needs, and increase access to lifesaving medications and services in the communities where people need them most.  

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• NACo Policy Brief: Enhance Counties' Ability to Prevent and Treat Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Disorders
• NACo Report: Behavioral Health Matters to Counties
• Legislative Analysis for Counties: The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022