Opioid war gets infusion of $13M

U.S. grants to aid programs in state

More than $13 million in federal grant money awarded this week will go to reduce opioid abuse in Arkansas, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced.

The grants were part of more than $1 billion awarded across the country from money appropriated by Congress earlier this year to treat and prevent addiction to the drugs, including prescription painkillers and illegal drugs such as heroin.

More than $10 million will go to the Arkansas Department of Human Services' Division of Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services over two years.

State Drug Director Kirk Lane said the money will allow the division to continue programs started with money from a grant awarded last year. That grant provided a total of $7.8 million over two years and expires in May. The new grant provides $5.1 million a year and runs through Sept. 29, 2020.

"We had some good programs we were doing with the [earlier] grant that we wanted to continue because they were having good success," Lane said.

The money will allow the state to continue to pay for treatment for uninsured and underinsured Arkansans, provide anti-overdose drugs for police officers and other emergency response personnel, and offer educational programs for health care providers and others.

The state will also start new projects, including an educational program aimed at senior citizens.

The federal department also awarded a total of almost $3 million to 11 of the state's federally-funded community health centers and $200,000 each to the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care in Little Rock and Baxter Regional Health System in Mountain Home to support planning efforts.

LaShannon Spencer, chief executive of Community Health Centers of Arkansas, said the centers will use the money to hire psychiatrists, social workers and therapists to provide treatment for opioid addiction.

The centers will each offer treatment directly or by using telemedicine in partnership with another center, she said.

"It's a huge deal, because we understand the need, especially in rural communities," Spencer said.

The Foundation for Medical Care will work with a group of state agencies, health care providers and other organizations to develop a plan for reducing opioid abuse in 18 counties with a high percentage of residents who suffered traumatic experiences as children.

Janie Ginocchio, a foundation spokesman, said research has shown that people with such experiences are more likely to become addicted to opioids and other substances.

Baxter Regional Health System said in a statement that it will work with other health systems and Arkansas State University-Mountain Home on plans to expand access to treatment in northern Arkansas. The other health systems include North Arkansas Medical System in Harrison, Unity Health in Searcy and White River Health System in Batesville.

Most of the money awarded by the Health and Human Services Department came from the $1.3 trillion spending bill signed by President Donald Trump in March, according to a department news release. The bill included more than $3 billion in new funding for programs aimed at reducing opioid abuse.

Metro on 09/22/2018

Upcoming Events