Manchin, Capito Announce Funding Opportunity for Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, Behavioral Health Support Services

Manchin, Capito Announce Funding Opportunity for Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, Behavioral Health Support Services

Washington, DC- U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced the availability of $13 million in funding for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) and Behavioral Health Care Support (BHS) program through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and encourage West Virginia entities to apply. This program aims to increase access to behavioral health care services and address health inequities in rural America, including through evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment for substance use disorder.

"Every West Virginian has been impacted by substance use disorder, and combatting this heartbreaking epidemic continues to be a top priority of mine. The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Behavioral Health Care Support (BHS) program provides critical funding to rural health clinics to address and combat substance use disorder. And now six West Virginia counties are eligible to apply for this funding after I fought to change the classification system that previously kept these rural West Virginia counties from accessing crucial healthcare funding. I encourage every eligible health center to apply for this integral funding, and I will continue to work with HHS to provide additional resources to combat the drug epidemic in the Mountain State,"Senator Manchin said.

"In our battle against the addiction crisis, we must continue to connect West Virginia's substance use and prevention organizations with the resources they need. The allotment announced today can help create healthier and safer communities, and I encourage eligible applicants to take advantage of these programs. The opioid epidemic has touched all of us in one way or another, and I will continue to advocate for the support our local leaders need to pursue solutions that will help West Virginians struggling with addiction get the help they need," Senator Capito said.

BACKGROUND:

HRSA released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY 2022 BHS program. RCORPis a multi-year initiative administered by HRSA aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), in high risk rural communities. The purpose of this program is to advance RCORP's overall goal by improving access to and quality of SUD and other behavioral health care services in rural communities. Recipients will increase access to behavioral health care services and address social determinants of health and health disparities in rural America, including through evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment for substance use disorder. Eligible applicants include entities such as Rural Health Clinics, federally recognized Tribes, Tribal organizations, and community and faith-based organizations.

Interested applicants can find more information here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=334417