DHHS Receives $31M Grant to Fight Opioid Epidemic
DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D., speaks at the May 18 announcement of a $31 million federal grant for North Carolina to fight opioid misuse. Seated from left to right are SouthLight Healthcare President and Chief Executive Officer Reynolds C. Clodfelter Jr., M.D., Attorney General Josh Stein and Gov. Roy Cooper.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services has received a $31 million federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to combat the opioid crisis.
The funding will be used for increasing access to prevention, treatment and recovery supports, reducing unmet treatment need, and reducing opioid-related overdoses and deaths. North Carolina experienced a 73 percent spike in opioid-related deaths between 2005 and 2015.
The announcement of the grant was made last week by Gov. Roy Cooper, DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D., and Attorney General Josh Stein.
“This grant is an important piece of our comprehensive approach to support individuals with opioid use disorders in their treatment and recovery efforts,” Cohen said. “In addition to the grant, more resources are still needed to increase access to prevention, treatment and recovery supports, and eliminate opioid-related overdoses and deaths.”