SAMHSA Announces Over $19 Million for 16 Grants to Better Coordinate Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment; LACEY, WASHINGTON TO RECEIVE $400,000
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Administrator Charles G. Curie, M.A., A.C.S.W., today announced grant awards to 16 states totaling more than $19 million over three years to build capacity to provide effective and affordable substance abuse treatment for youth and their families. In addition to increasing access to treatment services for young people, each state will create a staff position dedicated to ensuring resources available for substance abuse treatment are being used in the most efficient manner possible.
“Responsibility for adolescent treatment is often located in a number of state agencies and is frequently not in the office that oversees substance abuse treatment services. As a result, too many young people who need treatment do not receive help,” Administrator Charles Curie said. “These grants will help put a system in place that brings together multiple agencies, including mental health, education, health, child welfare, and juvenile justice services, in order to coordinate funding and treatment resources and better serve young people and their families.”
States awarded grants include: Arizona * Arizona Department of Health Services Division of Behavioral Health, Phoenix — $400,000 per year for three years to create a sustainable system of care that effectively breaks the cycle of addiction in Arizona’s families through early identification, intervention and treatment for substance use disorders among youth and young adults. Arizona will expand network capacity to identify and treat substance abuse by creating a program with the statewide behavioral health provider association and family service organizations to drive education and practitioner training on substance abuse in young people. Connecticut * Connecticut Department of Children and Families, Hartford — $400,000 per year for three years to develop and improve policies, regulations, practices, funding and program development functions of the state system that impact treatment and supports for adolescents with substance abuse and co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. District of Columbia * The DC Youth Substance Abuse Treatment Coordination Program — $400,000 per year for three years to develop a continuum of evidence-based youth treatment services, with a quality performance standard of certification for providers. Florida * Florida Office of Drug Control, Tallahassee — $400,000 per year for three years to build enhance capacity in Florida to provide effective, accessible, and affordable substance abuse treatment for adolescents and their families. Georgia * Georgia Department of Human Resources Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases, Atlanta — $400,000 per year for three years to enhance the state’s capacity to provide an effective accessible and affordable service system through collaborative strategic planning, cross agency coordination and training. Kentucky * Kentucky Youth First Project, Frankfort — $400,000 per year for three years to enhance infrastructure supports for adolescent substance abuse treatment in the rural part of the state that includes the Appalachian area. Illinois * The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Chicago — $400,000 to improve capacity in the state to provide effective, accessible, and culturally competent substance abuse treatment for youths and their families, through the statewide coordination and enhancement of youth treatment services. Massachusetts * The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, Boston — $355,367 the first year; $353,747 expected in the second year and $361,348 in the last year to achieve the vision of the Commonwealth’s 2005 Substance Abuse Strategic Plan as it relates to adolescents. North Carolina * The North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services, Raleigh — $400,000 per year for three years to develop a sustainable infrastructure for substance abuse treatment coordination that will build on existing collaborative efforts to strengthen the capacity to serve youth in need of substance abuse treatment, and their families. Ohio * Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, Columbus — $400,000 per year for three years to provide the current publicly funded alcohol and drug service system with delivery of accessible, effective, culturally competent and affordable prevention and treatment services for Ohio’s adolescents and families. South Carolina * Adolescents Treatment Coordination in Columbia — $399,391 in the first year; $399,300 expected in the second and third year to increase the capacity and quality of substance abuse treatment services for adolescents and their families through infrastructure change and development. Tennessee * State of Tennessee Office of Children’s Care Coordination, Nashville — $400,000 per year for three years to provide and promote accessible, high quality, effective services to adolescents with substance abuse problems, and their families. Virginia * State Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Coordination, Richmond — $396,577 in the first year; $394,322 expected in the second and third year to develop the necessary infrastructure to support and maintain the ongoing development and provision of adolescent substance abuse services throughout the Commonwealth. Vermont * The State of Vermont Department of Health, Burlington — $399,998 per year for three years to continue the ongoing efforts to strengthen the infrastructure of the state’s adolescent treatment system with the focus on three domains of activity: policy and procedures; better mechanisms for referral treatment programs; and support for adoption of evidence-based practices within local agencies. Washington * Washington Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Statewide Coordination, Lacey — $400,000 per year for three years to develop a statewide infrastructure that fosters cross system planning, and knowledge and resource sharing, to enhance the existing adolescent substance abuse treatment system. Wisconsin * Adolescent Treatment Coordination, Madison — $400,000 per year for three years to bring new energy, emphasis and effectiveness to the treatment, services and supports received by Wisconsin’s adolescents with substance abuse and co-occurring mental and substance use disorders, and their families, by improving the provider network; integrating service administration; resolving funding and regulatory barriers; and improving data management.
SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation’s substance abuse prevention, addictions, treatment, and mental health services delivery system.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Web site: http://www.samhsa.gov/