MA Receives Nearly $12 Million in Federal Funding to Fight Opioid Epidemic

MA Receives Nearly $12 Million in Federal Funding to Fight Opioid Epidemic

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced that Massachusetts has received a federal grant totaling almost $12 million to fight the opioid epidemic. 

“Our administration strongly supported the 21st Century Cures Act as an effort to advance Massachusetts’ leadership in biomedical innovation and expedite new ways to treat disease and addiction. We are grateful for the opportunity to use these funds for prevention and treatment activities to address the opioid crisis that has devastated families in every corner of Massachusetts,” said Baker. 

The federal funding will be used mostly for outpatient opioid treatment, recovery services and expanded community overdose prevention programs. 

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The Federal Funding 

The majority of the $11.7 million in funding will be used to increase outpatient opioid treatment and recovery services and expand community overdose prevention programs.

“This funding comes at a critical time and supports our comprehensive response to this deadly epidemic. Investing in prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery saves lives and this funding helps us in each of those areas,” said DPH Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH.

The funding will also support new programs to promote treatment and recovery for at-risk populations, including pregnant and post-partum women and correctional inmates scheduled for release. 

Key Components of the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grant Include:

Expansion of Overdose Prevention Initiatives

·       Expansion of the Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND)  program in communities with a significant number of opioid overdoses

·       Enhance, expand and evaluate community first responder initiatives to provide follow-up, in-person, outreach and support services after 911 calls for an overdose

·       Overdose prevention training and technical assistance for health and human services providers throughout Massachusetts

·       Improving access to naloxone at pharmacies throughout the state

Expansion of Treatment and Recovery Support Programs

·       Implement an Opioid Access to Recovery (ATR) program focused on individuals affected by opioid addiction in the cities of Boston and Springfield, and in two additional cities that will be determined following a competitive procurement process.

·       Expansion of Office-Based Opioid Treatment (OBOT)  to at least seven new community-based sites

·       Improving re-entry treatment and recovery support services for correctional inmates, including access to pre-release Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), treatment and recovery planning, and post-release linkages to services and recovery support and case management

·       New peer-support programming to assist pregnant, post-partum and parenting women with their recovery