Two GBA Clients Awarded 5-Year Grants to Implement MAT Services

Over the past year, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a federal agency, has awarded more than $120 million through six grant programs to combat the nation’s overdose epidemic. One of these programs is the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction (PDOA) grant, which is a five-year grant. This year, SAMHSA awarded 127 grantees with MAT-PDOA funding, totaling more than $70 million. MAT, an evidence-based intervention, references the use of FDA-approved medication, in combination with counseling and psychosocial support, to treat opioid use disorder.

Gary Bess Associates (GBA) prepared MAT-PDOA proposals for two clients, both of whom were awarded $625,000 each, to expand and enhance MAT-PDOA services in their communities. Combined, these two clients will serve 725 unduplicated individuals with opioid addiction in each of the five-year periods. One client will serve rural northern California, with the other serving urban Southern California.

There are two new SAMHSA funding opportunities forecasted for 2022 to address opioid use disorders (OUD). We anticipate the next round for the Medication-Assisted Treatment – Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction grant (TI-22-013) to be available in February 2022. The intended outcomes for the program are to 1) increase in the number of individuals with OUD receiving MAT; and 2) decrease in illicit opioid drug use and prescription opioid misuse at six-month follow-up.

The second opportunity is the State Opioid Response Grant (TI-22-005), also estimated to be posted in February 2022. The purpose of this grant is to increase access to FDA-approved medications for the treatment of OUD, reduce unmet treatment needs, and reduce opioid overdose deaths through prevention, treatment, and recovery activities. If health centers or other eligible entities are interested in implementing or expanding MAT services in their service areas, GBA is available to assist. We are experienced in drafting successful SAMHSA proposals, as well as serving as the evaluator on SAMHSA grants.