States' Use of Grant Funding for a Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis

To address the increased need for treatment services, the 21st Century Cures Act established the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis grant program (STR grant program). Through this program, SAMHSA awarded almost $1 billion in grants to States over a 2-year grant period (May 2017 through April 2019). States were required to use these funds to expand access to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), especially medication-assisted treatment (MAT); reduce unmet treatment needs; and reduce opioid overdose-related deaths through the provision of prevention, treatment, and recovery support services.