FROM HSD SPOKESMAN KYLER NERISON: Earlier this year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that New Mexico's drug overdose death rate improved from 49th worst in the nation to 43rd. New Mexico saw a 7 percent decline in drug overdose deaths from 2014 to 2015 as the nationwide overdose death rate increased by nearly 11 percent. Opioid Crisis State Targeted Response Grant (Opioid STR) This grant is being awarded to NM via a formula based on the unmet need for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and drug poisoning deaths. NM will be receiving $4.8 million a year for two years. An application was submitted, by the February 17, 2017 deadline, to draw down these funds. Awards are not expected until May but can be carried over into the following FFY. Purpose of the Opioid STR Grant is to: · Increase access to treatment, reduce unmet treatment need, and reduce opioid overdose-related deaths through the provision of prevention, treatment and recovery activities for OUD; · Supplement current opioid activities; and · Support a comprehensive response to the opioid epidemic using a strategic planning process to conduct needs and capacity assessments grounded in epidemiologic data and research and utilize evidence-based practices to ensure the quality of prevention, treatment, and recovery programming. SAMHSA expects the BHSD to: · Provide an array of prevention, treatment, and recovery support services to address the opioid misuse and overdose epidemic; · Spend up to 5% on administrative/infrastructure costs to administer the grant; Spend 15% on prevention efforts · Spend at least 80% of the remaining award (after administrative/infrastructure costs) on OUD treatment and recovery services; · Assess the needs of tribal communities and include in the strategic plan; · Report expenditures for all activities; and · Ensure all available resources for services are leveraged for prevention and treatment services and coordinate activities to avoid duplication of efforts. Partners in this large scale effort include the BHSD; Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD); UNM Department of Psychiatry, and Division of Community Behavioral Health; and a wide range of health care providers statewide, including providers of integrated primary care and behavioral health care, peer recovery and support, and prevention services. The NM Opioid STR Initiative application focuses on expansion of prevention, treatment and peer-guided recovery support services that are coordinated and supported through a “Hub and Spoke” model that ensures consistency in approaches to the opioid crisis and support for providers statewide as they enhance their training, skills and services in this effort. BHSD is working on implementation planning, including the development of the Central Hub that will coordinate statewide efforts. Hub development and planning is led by BHSD with expertise from the UNM Addiction and Substance Abuse Program (ASAP), and CYFD. Implementation will include Hub development which is intended to expand training in and provision of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders, and further enhance prevention to include mass distribution of naloxone (Narcan) to prevent opioid overdose and associated training with providers, first responders, family and community members. Prevention activities also include the expansion of the PAX Good Behavior Game, and A Dose of Reality campaign. BHSD is currently working with UNM to develop contracts and scopes of work for providers statewide, who will collaborate with BHSD on this large-scale statewide effort.