State awards $4.6 million for substance use disorder treatment

Last week, the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health announced nearly $5 million in grants to expand access to substance use disorder treatment in rural and frontier communities.

Colorado House Bill 19-1287, which was signed by Gov. Jared Polis last May, established the grant program to increase treatment services in rural and frontier areas of the state. The law provided $5 million to OBH to be disseminated through three managed service organizations, which contract with the state to manage substance use treatment services for uninsured or underinsured Coloradans.

Following a competitive application process, the MSOs awarded $4.6 million to 16 groups, funding projects such as hiring more certified addiction counselors, launching withdrawal management centers and opening new recovery residence programs.

“We are committed to developing a robust continuum of care for substance use in rural and frontier communities,” said OBH Director Robert Werthwein. “This much-needed funding will help organizations tailor solutions in their counties and grow successful programs.”

The grant evaluation process solicited county-level input to ensure projects met communities’ needs. The MSOs convened regional selection committees comprised of two MSO representatives, two area representatives appointed by county commissioners in relevant MSO regions and two CDHS staff members.

The remainder of the $5 million will fund administrative costs, with $200,000 rolling over into the next grant cycle.

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