The Department of Health Care Services ?DHCS? granted this Wednesday 52 million dollars to service providers of Medication Assisted Treatment "MAT", funds with which it seeks to support the prevention and treatment of disorders due to opioids and other substances as well as recovery.
"It is critical that treatment providers on the front lines of the opioid epidemic have the resources they need to save lives, when they need them," Governor Newsom said. "Today's efforts, in coordination with the federal government, reinforce our state's multi-pronged approach to addressing this ongoing crisis and protecting as many Californians as possible."
As part of the 2023-2024 state budget, Newsom proposed additional investments to distribute naloxone, provide overdose medication to all middle and high schools, make test strips available, and grants for education, testing, recovery and support services.
In the current administration, more than a billion dollars in funding has been invested to fight the opioid crisis: getting opioids off the streets, providing resources to California communities that need them, and increasing education and awareness for prevent damage in the first place. However, it seems that it is not enough.
"The opioid epidemic is one of the biggest challenges facing California today," said DHCS Director Michelle Baass. "The Administration is investing massive resources, more than a billion dollars, in a comprehensive response to the crisis, and the grants we are announcing today should go a long way toward helping treatment providers across California save lives."
Awards this January 11, of up to $1.848 million each to 105 service providers, will fund the development and implementation of opioid and substance use disorder treatment "hubs" and "spokes" throughout California. . The "centers" may be narcotics treatment programs or other MAT providers; the “spokes” are federally approved in-office prescribers.
It should be noted that this funding, which comes from the State Opioid Response III grant, awarded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, runs from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
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