Nevada awarded $1.68M planning grant to increase substance abuse treatment

CARSON CITY — Nevada health officials will use a federal grant recently awarded to the state’s Medicaid program to grow Substance Use Disorder services.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, as one of 15 states awarded funding for the Planning Grant phase of the Demonstration Project to Increase Substance Use Provider Capacity.

“This award has the potential to elevate programs throughout our state, which will in turn, help improve the lives of many Nevadans,” said Governor Steve Sisolak. “I am grateful for these additional resources that will support access to treatments that benefit our citizens.”

The opioid epidemic in Nevada has highlighted the need for greater access to community-based treatment for Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) through behavioral health services and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).

With this 18-month award, the state will have $1.68 million to develop a plan to increase the number of providers offering some level of SUD/OUD services by 20 percent.

DHCFP is partnered with the Nevada Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Agency (SAPTA) for statewide development, integration and outreach for substance use integrated care protocols and policies. The focus of the planning study will be to engage, train and identify providers, and develop protocols and strategies to expand access to substance abuse treatment and recovery support services.

Through the project Nevada will work to:
— Increase the education and delivery program for pregnant women with OUD and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS);

— Increase access through expanding eligible providers;

— Connect with current providers to add SUD or OUD services;

— Develop a comprehensive MAT policy;

— Provide an alternative payment methodology for MAT services;

— Provide services and staff training through Project ECHO Nevada, a distance learning and peer consultation program for medical professionals through the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine.

Funding through this grant will include training, policy development and technical assistance by the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

The ASAM represents more than 6,000 physicians, clinicians and associated professionals with a focus on addiction and treatment. ASAM will support the development of an integrated system of delivery, including the payment model Patient Centered Opioid Addiction Treatment (P-COAT), which is recognized nationally as an evidence-based practice.

If all benchmarks of the planning grant are achieved, the state will be eligible to apply for implementation funding, which includes an increase to the federal reimbursement for Medicaid costs for SUD treatment and recovery services.

The grant was also awarded to Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Washington, Virginia, and West Virginia.

For more information please go to: https://www.nvopioidresponse.org/ or here.

The Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act became law in October 2018. Through this Act, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, will support a demonstration project to increase the treatment capacity of Medicaid providers to deliver treatment and recovery services. The 18-month Demonstration Project to Increase Substance Use Provider Capacity is the first part of the project.

The Nevada Division of Health Care Financing and Policy (DHCFP) works in partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to assist in providing quality medical care for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and limited resources. Services are provided through a combination of traditional fee-for-service provider networks and managed care.