Nearly $9 million in federal support has been awarded to 20 grantees across the country to increase and improve mental-health and substance-use services in rural and underserved communities.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced June 14 that a total of $8,934,230 was designated by the agency's Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), through the Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program (ITSP).
The program is designed to "establish a foundation of skills and expertise for community-based programs and increase the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, health service psychologists, counselors, nurses, and social workers who are trained to provide mental health and substance use disorder treatment, including opioid use disorder services," HRSA states in the announcement.
“Thanks to President Biden, we are transforming and expanding behavioral health support across our country," HHS Sec. Xavier Becerra said in the release. "These funds make it easier for more individuals and families to access the mental health support, treatment and recovery services, and other help they need and deserve."
Integrating mental health and substance abuse treatment services into primary care and making substantial investments in the mental health workforce are priorities in President Joseph Biden's Unity Agenda strategy for confronting the nation's mental health and overdose crises, HRSA states in the news release. The administration has invested $4.5 billion, including $3.7 billion through the American Rescue Plan and another $800 million from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, to "provide access to mental health care, prevent overdoses, and save lives," the release states. The funding has supported programs that assisted communities across the country to develop prevention, treatment and recovery-support programs and the launch of the nationwide 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, according to the release.
“At HRSA we are committed to helping people get mental health and substance use disorder services, particularly in places that have generally had limited access to behavioral health care,” HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson said in the release. “Today’s investments are part of HRSA’s commitment to training more providers to meet the need for mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services.”
