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The Department of Health and Human Services has made available $247.9 million in grants to expand opioid addiction treatment, naloxone training and mental health services. The investment complements local efforts like Narcotics Anonymous that offer lifesaving treatment in communities. Overdose deaths have fallen nationally but remain high. Recent CDC estimates project 66,937 drug overdose deaths …
HHS Awards $247.9 Million for Opioid Treatment and Naloxone Training
Written By Eric Owens
Whether it's writing articles or making YouTube videos, Eric has a passion for content creation. He appreciates the power of storytelling to inform an audience about the information they need to know, particularly those seeking support and information on mental health and substance use issues. In addition to writing, he also spends his time traveling and discovering new restaurants to enjoy a meal.
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The Department of Health and Human Services has made available $247.9 million in grants to expand opioid addiction treatment, naloxone training and mental health services. The investment complements local efforts like Narcotics Anonymous that offer lifesaving treatment in communities.
Overdose deaths have fallen nationally but remain high. Recent CDC estimates project 66,937 drug overdose deaths from April 2025-2026. That works out to roughly 183 deaths a day.
Allocating the Resources
About $118.8 million supports addiction treatment. The largest allocation of $69.4 million goes to medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Another $34.6 million goes to train first responders to administer overdose reversal medications.
The rest goes to mental health programs. Project AWARE receives $54.9 million for local school mental health services. Community centers, colleges and suicide watch programs all receive several million.
The HHS announcement didn’t name individual grant recipients and directed readers to SAMHSA’s online grants dashboard for award details.
MAT Leads the Treatment Funding
MAT works. In a study of 17,500 Massachusetts adults who survived an opioid overdose, methadone was associated with a 59% reduction in overdose deaths and buprenorphine with 38%. The risk for death remained high the following year.
MAT combines prescriptions with counseling. MAT cuts overdose deaths and helps people stay in treatment. Stigma around these meds persists in recovery communities, but major medical bodies consider them the standard of care.
Naloxone Funding Matters
But grants alone don’t guarantee the decline continues. Communities that saw the sharpest rises during the epidemic, including rural counties, have low naloxone distribution.
Naloxone remains a ready response to reverse opioid overdoses when given in time. It doesn’t treat addiction, but it keeps a person alive long enough to reach care and won’t harm someone who is not overdosing on an opioid.
Risk is highest for folks recently released from jail or leaving detox or even after an overdose because opioid tolerance drops quickly after a period of not using.
Naloxone nasal spray is sold over the counter at pharmacies, and many local health departments give it away free.
NA Still a Top Option
NA isn’t directly funded, but Narcotics Anonymous remains a first and crucial step for many folks seeking help. Chapters dot the landscape and they’re always free and open to all. The fellowship can last a lifetime.
Get started by finding a local chapter. You can use our directory to search group meetings anywhere in the country.
Call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to speak with an expert and explore opioid addiction treatment options, including medication-assisted treatment.
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