HHS Releases New Reports on SUD in Pregnant and Postpartum Women, Announces $10M for Treatment Programs
On February 3rd, the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced that it will award $10 million to provide residential and outpatient substance use disorder (SUD) treatment to pregnant and postpartum women and support services to their children. For the first time since the grant program’s inception, this year’s funding will also extend support services to fathers, partners, and other family members. The funding opportunity will be available through the Services Grant Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women. SAMHSA’s announcement comes as HHS’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released two new reports that identify evidence-based prevention and treatments approaches that may improve health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women with SUD and their families. In a press release, Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA, said “Providing holistic services to women and children affected by substance use – and extending those services to family members – not only helps promote the health of the woman and her children but helps set the whole family unit on the path of recovery.” Rebecca Haffajee, Acting Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation added, “This research will inform HHS’s work to improve outcomes for families affected by substance use through our Overdose Prevention Strategy.”
Articles & Resources
HHS – HHS Announces New Reports and Grant Program Addressing the Health Needs of Pregnant Women and Children Affected by Substance Use
DOL Awards Funding for State Programs Supporting Workers Affected by the Opioid Epidemic
The Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded over $6 million in funding to three state labor departments – WorkForce West Virginia, the Maine Department of Labor, and the New York State Department of Labor – to support the creation of temporary jobs and workforce training to reintegrate workers in communities that have experienced social and economic impacts from the opioid epidemic. The state departments will use the incremental funding to train and employ individuals for peer recovery positions. WorkForce West Virginia has been awarded $2.4 million, the Maine Department of Labor has been awarded $2 million, and the New York State Department of Labor has been awarded $1.8 million. The funding is administered through the Opioid Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grants and supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014.
Articles & Resources
DOL – Us Department of Labor Awards $1.8M in Funding for Employment, Training Services to Combat New York’s Opioid Crisis
DOL – Us Department of Labor Awards $2M in Funding to Provide Employment, Training Services to Combat Maine’s Opioid Crisis
DOL – Us Department of Labor Awards $2.4m in Funding for Employment, Training Services to Combat West Virginia’s Opioid Crisis
What We Read Last Week
Several articles were published last week pertaining to the opioid epidemic, covering a variety of different components of the issue. Links to relevant articles are provided below.
ACS – Ten hospitals reduce opioid prescriptions for children who underwent appendectomy through a quality improvement initiative
American Journal of Psychiatry – Surging Racial Disparities in the U.S. Overdose Crisis
Axios – Over 1 million years of life lost to drug overdoses
Congressman John Joyce – Dr. Joyce Calls for Permanent Ban on Fentanyl Analogs
HHS – HHS Announces a Standard Clinical Definition for Opioid Withdrawal in Infants
Law360 – Opioid Pills Set Off ‘Triple Wave’ Of Addiction, Judge Hears
Medpage Today – The Prescription Opioid Ecosystem: A Novel Approach to the Crisis
Miami Herald – Tribes: Settlement in opioids case will foster healing
Newsweek – Opioid Death Toll to Double by 2029, Average 336 People a Day Over a Decade
Senator Patty Murray – Senator Murray Leads Hearing On Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Crises Worsened by COVID-19
This Week’s Calendar
In the week ahead, there are no relevant events or hearings noticed at this time. In the event that there are any changes to the schedule for this week, we will make additional information available.
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