HHS Provides More Than $1.5 Billion in State and Tribal Opioid Response Grants

The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has allocated more than $1.5 billion in continuation funding awards for the State Opioid Response (SOR) and Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grants in fiscal year 2025. 

This funding provides critical resources to states and tribal communities to address the overdose crisis through prevention, opioid overdose reversal medications, treatment (including medications for opioid use disorder [MOUD]) and recovery support, according to an HHS statement. 
“With the rise of polysubstance abuse and increasing role of stimulants in overdose deaths, it has never been more important to comprehensively address the disease of addiction and the root drivers of this crisis,” said SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Art Kleinschmidt, PhD. “State and Tribal Opioid Response funding provides critical resources to help prevent addiction, provide evidence-based treatment, and support long-term recovery and sobriety.”

The allocations include $1.48 billion for SOR and nearly $63 million for TOR. Since the SOR program began in 2018, the HHS reports that nearly 1.3 million people have received treatment services, including more than 650,000 who received MOUD. Through the SOR program, nearly 1.5 million people have received recovery support services.

 SAMHSA grantees reported distributing more than 10 million opioid overdose reversal kits, with opioid overdose reversal medications being used to reverse more than 550,000 overdoses. Since the TOR program began in 2018, tribes report that approximately 16,500 patients have received treatment services, and SAMHSA grantees reported distributing more than 116,500 naloxone kits, with opioid reversal medications being used to reverse more than 1,750 overdoses.

“Opioid response grant successes are most evident in qualitative improvements in the lives of participants,” wrote HHS, pointing out that at the six-month follow-up, most individuals served through SOR funding reported improved housing stability, social connectedness, health, and employment and education achievement, as well as increased abstinence from alcohol or drug use. For most participants, mental health outcomes also improved, with clients reporting less depression, less anxiety, better behavioral control and fewer suicide attempts, according to HHS.

Based on a press release from HHS.