Behavioral health services get a boost from SAMHSA

While the treatment and coordination of substance use disorders (SUD) are lagging behind mainstream health care, the announcement of 29 new grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a step in the right direction to level the coordination of care playing field.

SAMHSA has awarded $25 million to behavioral health organizations to “expand use of health information technology to increase access to behavioral health services,” according to the organization, which also offered a list of awardees and their projected amount.

The grants aim to improve care coordination of substance use disorders, pay for new technology and, lastly, enhance an entity’s current technology. Some of the technologies are electronic health record (EHR) systems, web-based services, mobile health like smartphones and behavioral health electronic applications. What’s more, these advancements could help patients in remote and underserved populations.

The grants will be distributed over a three-year period.  Grantees could receive up to $280,000 annually over that span, but the final amount depends on progress from the awardees.