AAAP Receives SAMHSA Grant to Extend, Expand Opioid Response Network

The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry announced that it has received a two-year, $32 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to address opioid and stimulant use disorders through the continuation and expansion of a national education and training network.

The grant will fund an extension of the Opioid Response Network, which launched in February 2018 by AAAP with assistance from the Addiction Technology Transfer Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Columbia University’s Division on Substance Use Disorders to provide training and technical assistance to providers. A network of teaching consultants focus on applying evidence-based practices in prevention, treatment and recovery, meeting locally identified needs. The two-year grant, which started Sept. 30, will be used to expand the network to provide educational services around stimulant use in addition to opioids.

Since its launch 2½ years ago, the Opioid Response Network has:

• Trained 83% of physicians in California correctional facilities on evidence-based practices for treating OUD
• Convened a bi-weekly clinicians forum in Texas on preventing and treating OUD
• Supported the development of a Kansas City recovery high school

With substance use appearing to be on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic, the renewed support for the network with a new grant was particularly timely, Kathryn Cates-Wessel, CEO of AAAP and principal investigator for the Opioid Response Network, said in a news release.

Individuals, organizations, cities and states can submit a request for no-cost education and training at: opioidresponsenetwork.org.