New Hampshire Submits Plan To SAMHSA For Supplemental State Opioid Response Funding

Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has submitted to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) the State’s proposed plan for supplemental State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that New Hampshire is eligible to receive $11,996,921. The State’s proposal includes increased funding for the hub and spoke model to eliminate barriers to treatment and recovery services.

“Over the last several months, we have rapidly deployed more than $17 million in SOR funding to build a system that works for all of New Hampshire,” said DHHS Commissioner Jeffrey A. Meyers. “While the system is only three months old, we know that barriers such as availability of treatment and a lack of housing options remain for people who want to access services in their communities. We are grateful to SAMHSA for the funding opportunity to increase treatment capacity and access to housing, transportation, and other social services that will eliminate barriers to services.”

New Hampshire utilized the initial SOR funding to create a new system with clear points of entry for any resident with an Opioid Use Disorder, using a regional approach to address the crisis through Doorway locations in 9 regions throughout the state. The supplemental funding will make new investments as well as enhance existing investments to further increase local and regional providers’ capacity to assist clients in overcoming specific barriers to treatment and recovery.

The proposal includes:

• Increasing availability of naloxone for those at risk of an overdose event.
• Expanding access to residential treatment.
• Increasing the Doorways’ funding for services such as co-pays, transportation, childcare, housing and other social services to enable their clients’ participation in treatment and recovery services.
• Enhancements to services funded through the SOR grant, including the 211 call center capacity, medication assisted treatment, and those designed to serve justice-involved individuals, pregnant women and children and families.

In the first two months since opening on January 1, 2019, the Doorways served 916 individuals, including 381 referral calls from 211, 369 clinical evaluations, and 452 referrals for treatment. Data from the Doorways’ first quarter will be available soon. Information about the Doorway locations is available at www.theDoorway.nh.gov.