On January 18, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the availability of $13 million in funding to increase access to behavioral health care services and address health inequities in rural America. These services will include evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment for substance use disorder.

HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy will make awards through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) - Behavioral Health Care Support. Eligible applicants include entities such as rural health clinics, federally recognized tribes, tribal organizations, and community- and faith-based organizations.

Applicants can begin the RCORP-Behavioral Health Care Support application process on grants.gov and must apply by Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 11:59 PM, ET. Visit the Notice of Funding Opportunity for more information.

Since 2018, the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – a multi-year initiative administered by HRSA – has provided over $400 million in direct grants and technical assistance to rural communities addressing behavioral health care challenges, including substance use disorder. To date, the initiative has expanded access to substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services in over 1,500 counties nationwide, with RCORP grant recipients serving over 2 million individuals in rural communities in fiscal year 2020.

For more information about efforts to address barriers to treatment for substance use disorder in rural areas, visit HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. To learn about the HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy, visit https://www.hhs.gov/overdose-prevention/.

If you would like to become involved in ACA’s advocacy efforts, please contact the ACA Government Affairs and Public Policy team at advocacy@counseling.org.