[NYAPRS Enews] Cuomo: $5.25M to Expand Access to MAT in Clinics, Hospital EDs

[Harvey Rosenthal]

Governor Cuomo Announces $5.25 Million in Funding to Facilitate and Expand Access to Medication Assisted Treatment in Primary Care Clinics and Hospital Emergency Departments
$3.5 Million Awarded to Provide Medication Assisted Treatment and Related Services in Federally Qualified Health Centers
$1.75 Million Awarded to Facilitate Buprenorphine Induction in Hospital Emergency Departments

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $5.25 million in funding to facilitate and expand access to medication assisted treatment in hospital emergency departments and primary care clinics. The funding was awarded through a series of requests for applications issued by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and was provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

"New York State is committed to ensuring each and every New Yorker suffering from substance use disorder has access to the addiction treatment and support they need," Governor Cuomo said. "This critical funding will strengthen life-saving services offered across the state and will help us continue our ongoing efforts to support people on their road to recovery."

"This funding is an essential component of our strategy to combat the opioid epidemic and ensure more New Yorkers have access to the care they need," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Co-Chair of the NYS Heroin and Opioid Task Force, who made today's announcement. "Countless families across the state have seen the tragic consequences of addiction. With support from OASAS and SAMHSA, health care providers in every region will now be able to expand the use of medication treatments and effective strategies to save lives."

Providing medication assisted treatment (MAT) entails using medications in combination with education, counseling and/or behavioral therapies as appropriate, to treat substance use disorders. MAT is the standard of care for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in New York and is safe and effective.

"Access to the appropriate treatment is life-changing and critical in achieving recovery," said OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. "These awards will expand access to important care and enable those who are fighting addiction to receive the medication needed to help them succeed and live happy and productive lives."

"With these initiatives, New York State is continuing to expand opportunities for people with addiction to get the services they need," said Dr. Howard Zucker, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health. "Providing medication for addiction treatment in primary care clinics and hospital emergency departments is a safe and effective way to start people on the road to recovery."

The initiatives announced today are funded through a grant awarded to New York State by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a federal agency. They complement and expand on other statewide efforts, such as the 12 drug use health hubs located throughout the state and operated by the New York State Department of Health's AIDS Institute Office of Drug User Health. The hubs improve the availability and accessibility of an array of appropriate health, mental health, and addiction services, including MAT.

OASAS is issuing 10 awards of $350,000 to federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to help the centers establish opioid use disorder services, including increasing prescriber capacity, counseling, behavioral therapies, and recovery supports. Staff will be trained on the utilization of all three FDA-approved addiction medications. One award will be issued to a FQHC in each of the 10 Empire State Development Regions. FQHCs must partner with at least one OASAS-certified provider to receive funding. The following FQHC programs were selected to receive awards, with the OASAS-certified providers listed in parentheses.


  *   Capital District: Schenectady Family Health Services Hometown Health Centers (Conifer Park)

  *   Central NY: East Hill Family Medical Inc. (Confidential Help for Alcohol and Drugs)

  *   Finger Lakes: Oak Orchard Health (Genesee Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse)

  *   Long Island: Long Island FQHC Inc. (Family and Children's Association & Family Service League)

  *   Mid-Hudson Valley: Hudson River HealthCare (Lexington Center for Recovery)

  *   Mohawk Valley: Rochester Primary Care Network (The Beacon Center)

  *   New York City: Joseph P Addabbo Family Health Center (RevCore Recovery Center); La Casa De Salud Inc. (PROMESA)

  *   Southern Tier: The Finger Lakes Migrant Health Care Project, Inc. (CASA-Trinity)

  *   Western NY: Neighborhood Health Center (Best Self Behavioral Health & Evergreen Health)

In addition, five awards of $350,000 are being distributed to expand the availability of buprenorphine to treat addiction in emergency departments. Emergency departments will partner with an OASAS-certified outpatient program to train emergency department staff on administering MAT, train staff on how to screen for and respond to instances of opioid misuse, and train staff on linking patients with peers and community-based treatment providers. Priority for awards was given to programs in areas of high unmet need. This effort builds on recent funding the New York State Department of Health provided to 24 local health departments to increase access to buprenorphine, with requirements for each department to conduct two provider waiver trainings in their county.

The following emergency department programs were selected to receive funding:

Long Island

  *   Long Island Community Hospital

  *   Northwell Health

  *   South Nassau Community Hospital

Mid-Hudson Valley

  *   Ellenville Regional Hospital

New York City

  *   Jacobi Medical Center

Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has instituted an aggressive, multi-pronged approach to addressing the opioid epidemic, and created a nation-leading continuum of addiction care with full prevention, treatment, and recovery services. To combat this epidemic, the Governor has worked to expand access to traditional services, including crisis services, inpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment programs, as well as medication assisted treatment, and mobile treatment and transportation services.

In 2016, Governor Cuomo's Heroin Task Force recommended new, non-traditional services, including recovery centers, youth clubhouses, expanded peer services, and 24/7 open access centers, which provide immediate assessments and referrals to care. These services have since been established in numerous communities around the state, and have helped people in need access care closer to where they live.

The Governor has advanced legislative and regulatory reform to enable people to get treatment faster by eliminating many insurance restrictions, as well as legislation to reduce most opioid prescriptions from 30 days to seven days, and legislation to increase training and education for prescribers. Governor Cuomo has also taken action to combat patient brokering and fraudulent addiction treatment services.

The Governor has also worked to increase training and availability of naloxone, resulting in more than 300,000 individuals in New York State being trained and equipped with the opioid overdose reversal medication. Through Governor Cuomo's actions, pharmacies around New York State are now able to provide naloxone without a prescription.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state's toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).
Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, community residence, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov<http://FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov> or through the NYS OASAS website.

Visit CombatAddiction.ny.gov<http://CombatAddiction.ny.gov> to learn more about the warning signs of addiction, review information on how to get help, and access resources on how to facilitate conversations with loved ones and communities about addiction. For tools to use in talking to a young person about preventing alcohol or drug use, visit the state's Talk2Prevent website.

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-525-million-funding-facilitate-and-expand-access-medication-assisted
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