SAMHSA awards $42 million to states, territories for ‘Treatment First’ addiction assistance

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced Sept. 18 that it awarded $42.3 million in grants to states and territories to support addiction programs using the new “Treatment First” framework, which prioritizes evidence-based treatment promoting care for sustained recovery. The new framework is a departure from the “Housing First” model that focused on connections to permanent supportive housing. Of the total, $17.3 million was awarded to Community Mental Health Services Block Grant recipients for technical assistance, training, policy development and cross-system coordination. The remaining $25 million was awarded to Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant recipients for efforts to increase the supply of recovery residences nationwide.