|
Later this year, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC)
will make available an additional $105 million in NHSC Loan Repayment
Program awards that expand and improve access to quality opioid and
substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in rural and underserved areas. In
addition to NHSC sites, this funding will be available to new categories of
outpatient services.
All NHSC
sites—including health centers and NHSC auto-approved sites—must opt in for
their providers to be eligible for this additional SUD treatment funding.
You are eligible to opt in if your site provides any of these services:
- Opioid treatment program (OTP)—Facilities
certified by SAMHSA
- Office-based opioid treatment (OBOT)—Outpatient
facilities with providers eligible to administer medication-assisted
treatment (MAT)
- Non-opioid outpatient SUD treatment
facilities—Outpatient facilities that offer SUD treatment services
(but do not provide MAT) as demonstrated on their website or other
organizational materials
Once you opt in, providers at your approved site will be
eligible for up to $75,000 in loan repayment in exchange for three years of
service. Members of the SUD integrated treatment team who qualify for NHSC SUD
treatment expansion include:
- Physicians
- Nurse
practitioners
- Physician
assistants who are eligible to administer MAT
- SUD
counselors
- Behavioral
health professionals
To maximize flexibility and resources available to SUD
expansion efforts, NHSC will allow applicants serving at NHSC-approved SUD
sites to apply under either the mental health or primary care Health
Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score, whichever is higher. This option is not
available for the traditional NHSC Loan Repayment Program.
You must opt in to
take advantage of this opportunity. Submit an inquiry through your Customer Service
Portal account by following these steps. If you have multiple sites, repeat
these steps for each site you
want to opt in.
1. Select a site from your site list.
2. Scroll down to the “Ask a Question” box and select “Ask a
Question about the NHSC.”
3. Submit your inquiry with the following parameters:
- Category:
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Documentation
- Description:
Opt-in SUD Expansion
4. List all SUD services that are provided at the site:
- Opioid
Treatment Program (OTP)
- Medication
Assisted Treatment (MAT)
- General
Substance Use Disorder Treatment
HRSA extended the deadline for providing this information. The new deadline is Tuesday, August 14, at 11:59 p.m. ET. If you have
additional questions, contact your state lead in HRSA’s Bureau of Health
Workforce.
|
