Governor Announces $22M to Combat Opioids, 80% Dedicated to Local Efforts

The Hogan-Rutherford Administration has announced $22 million in funding to address the opioid and heroin crisis gripping the state. The bulk of funding will go towards local jurisdictions and service providers to support and enhance their efforts.

As announced by the Governor’s Office:

Maryland’s Opioid Operational Command Center, Department of Health, and the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention today announced more than $22 million to fight the heroin and opioid epidemic. Eighty percent will go to Maryland’s 24 local jurisdictions and service providers to fund prevention, enforcement, and treatment efforts throughout the state.

“Finding real solutions to the heroin and opioid crisis that is ravaging our communities is a top priority of our administration and a cause that myself and Lt. Governor Rutherford have been personally committed to since before we took office,” said Governor Hogan. “This new funding will make real differences in people’s lives as we work together to turn the tide in this deadly fight.”

The funding for Fiscal Year 2018 includes the first $10 million of Governor Larry Hogan’s $50 million commitment to address the crisis announced in March 2017, the first $10 million from the federal 21st Century Cures Act, and $2.1 million from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention.

“With this funding plan, Maryland reaffirms Governor Hogan’s commitment to helping equip our local communities as we work together to battle this epidemic throughout the state,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dennis Schrader. “For example, $2 million of the Cures Act funding is being committed to establish a 24-hour crisis center in Baltimore City.”

“Here in Maryland, we continue to face a crisis situation with the number of overdoses rising every day. I am confident that with these resources we are announcing today, we have a balanced approach to fighting this epidemic – and we are giving the majority of our resources to the local level where we have the greatest opportunity to save lives,” said Clay Stamp, executive director of the Opioid Operational Command Center. “It is important to note our successes will continue to be driven by the significant support and cooperation of our federal and state agencies and local coordinated teams, including key advocacy groups, supporting our important work to combat the opioid crisis.”

The announcement included a listing of programs that will receive enhanced funding in FY 2018.

Prevention

  • $4 million total distributed to local Opioid Intervention Teams (as noted in table below) for each jurisdiction to determine how best to fight the heroin and opioid epidemic, which may expand on current prevention, enforcement, and treatment efforts
  • $1.4 million for a public awareness campaign to reduce stigma, increase patient-physician communication, and educate Maryland’s school children on the dangers posed by opioids, as well as additional support for local jurisdictions’ prevention efforts
  • $700,000 to train community teams on overdose response and linking to treatment
  • $200,000 to pilot a program that creates school-based teams for early identification of the problems related to substance use disorders
  • $200,000 to distribute opioid information to health care facilities and providers that offer treatment for opioid use disorder

Enforcement

  • $1.25 million to add to existing efforts to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations
  • $850,000 to continue heroin coordinator program, which helps to make the link between law enforcement and treatment
  • $450,000 to increase the Department of Health’s regulatory oversight of controlled dangerous substances

Treatment

  • $3.2 million to expand treatment beds statewide, as well as a tracking system – the Maryland Healthcare Commission will aid in expediting the certificate of need application process for treatment beds
  • $2.7 million to improve access to naloxone statewide
  • $2 million to establish a 24-hour crisis center in Baltimore City
  • $1.6 million to expand use of peer recovery support specialists
  • $1 million to expand Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to hospitals and parole, probation, and correctional facilities
  • $780,000 to increase access to medications that support recovery from substance use disorders
  • $183,000 to support the expansion of existing law enforcement assisted diversion programs
  • $143,000 to improve the statewide crisis hotline

Baltimore City was provided with funds to address critical concerns including dwindling supplies of naloxone kits.

Recognizing the immediate need for naloxone in Baltimore City, $750,000 will be provided to buy 10,000 units (20,000 doses) of the lifesaving drug that can reverse an opioid overdose. The city will receive $830,429 in individual jurisdictional funding, $2 million to establish the crisis center requested by city leadership, as well as funding for localized treatment and enforcement initiatives. With the opportunity to apply for grants, Baltimore is eligible for approximately $6 million in funding. The 2016 annual report  released by the Maryland Department of Health found that of the 2,089 overdose deaths in Maryland last year, 694 occurred in Baltimore City.

And finally a jurisdictional breakdown of $4 million in funding for Local Opioid Intervention Teams.

FY 2018 Funding by Jurisdiction
Image Courtesy of the Governor’s Office

 

Related coverage from Conduit Street:

Baltimore City Overdose Antidote Demand Outpacing Supply

Governor Declares State of Emergency, Announces New Funding to Fight Opioid Epidemic

Hogan Administration Launches New Web Portal to Provide Resources on Opioid Crisis

MACo’s Summer Conference will feature several sessions focusing on the opioid epidemic:

  • Naloxone training on Wednesday, August 16
  • Sponsor showcase session hosted by Aetna on Thursday, August 17: “Aetna’s Response to the Opioid Epidemic: A case study of health plan resource and response for the community”
  • Panel entitled, “Attacking the Opioid Epidemic: A Collaborative Approach” on Friday, August 18
  • Screening of the FBI documentary,  “Chasing the Dragon: Life of an Opiate Addict” on Saturday, August 19
  • Opioid Forum with representatives from the Governor’s emergency opioid task force on Saturday, August 19

Read more about these and other great MACo Summer Conference Sessions in our registration brochure.

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference: