News Release

$6.5 Million Offered to States to Improve Treatment of Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced it is offering $6.5 million in incentive grants to states that want to develop and enhance their infrastructure to improve treatment for persons with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders.

The average annual award under the program will range from $500,000 to $1.1 million in total costs per year for up to five years.  Up to ten awards will be available.  Only the immediate office of the governor in a state may apply.

SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie said:  “When we presented our Report on Co-Occurring Substance Abuse Disorders and Mental Disorders to Congress in December, we promised that we would follow words with actions.  We want governors to begin to focus on co-occurring illnesses and how disparate streams of financing can be joined to create a river of treatment for people with co-occurring disorders.  People with co-occurring disorders cannot separate their addiction from their mental illness, so they should not have to negotiate separate service delivery systems.”

John Walters, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said that “recovery from the disease of addiction is a lifelong challenge.  Treating co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders appropriately can significantly improve the chances of recovery.”

SAMHSA’s 2001 National Household Survey indicated that three million adults suffer from both serious mental illness and dependence on alcohol or drugs.  Among adults with serious mental illness in 2001, over 20 percent were dependent on or abused alcohol or illicit drugs.

The grant program, which is jointly administered by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and Center for Mental Health Services, is designed to help states:  screen  individuals for the presence of co-occurring disorders; assess the level of severity of co-occurring disorders; treat both disorders in a comprehensive and coordinated manner; train providers to screen, assess and develop preventive interventions and treatment plans for people who have co-occurring disorders; and evaluate the impact of prevention and treatment services on individuals with co-occurring disorders and their families.  States must choose one or more of these goals to implement.

Applications for these grants, RFA TI 03-003, are available by calling SAMHSA’s clearinghouse at 1-800-729-6686; or downloading from the SAMHSA web site at www.samhsa.gov.   Applications are due by June 13, 2003.  Applicants with questions on program issues should contact Richard E. Lopez at (301) 443-7615 or e-mail at rlopez@samhsa.hhs.gov or Lawrence Rickards, at (301) 443-3707 or e-mail at lrickards@samhsa.hhs.gov.  Queries on grants management should be directed to Stephan Hudak at (301) 443-9666 or e-mail at shudak@samhsa.hhs.gov.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States. Information on SAMHSA's programs is available on this website, www.samhsa.gov. 

 

This page was last updated on 14 April, 2003
SAMHSA is An Agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services