Missouri to receive $34.8 million in grants to combat opioids, funded by Blunt-led bill

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo), the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS), announced that Missouri will receive $34.8 million in grant funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help communities throughout Missouri combat the opioid epidemic.

“More than 1,500 Missourians lost their lives to an opioid-related overdose last year,” said Blunt. “It is a public health crisis that is devastating families and communities. These grants will help expand access to opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the state – especially in areas that need it the most. Our subcommittee has worked in a bipartisan way to support life-saving programs to combat the opioid epidemic, and we need to continue making it a priority as we move forward.”

Blunt secured a total of $4.28 billion, an increase of $299 million, for opioid programs in the FY2022 Labor/HHS appropriations bill. Under Blunt’s leadership, funding for health-related opioid programs has increased by $4 billion.

Specifically, HHS announced that Missouri will receive:

$25.3 Million in State Opioid Response Grants: Missouri will receive $25.3 million in state opioid response grant funding. State opioid response grants provide flexible funding to states to implement opioid use disorder interventions in the best way that fits their needs.

$9.5 Million in Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Grants: HHS will provide $9.5 million to nine Missouri health providers to expand access to substance use disorder treatment and prevention services in rural areas. Blunt started the program in the FY2018 Labor/HHS bill. Missouri grant recipients for the Medication Assisted Treatment Access Program can be found here, the Implementation Program here, and the Behavioral Health Program here.