TDMHSAS to Receive New Opioid Addiction Treatment Funding

NASHVILLE—The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) will receive six million dollars in federal funding to provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction to people who otherwise might not have access to it.

Treatment supported by the funding will be targeted to the uninsured or underinsured, particularly veterans or military members and women of childbearing age.  In all, the funding will provide medication-assisted treatment for 660 people in six targeted counties: Davidson, Hardin, Lewis, Shelby, Sullivan, and Washington.

“When battling opioid addiction, there’s no single treatment that can work for all patients,” said TDMHSAS Commissioner Marie Williams.  “For the people who can benefit from medication-assisted treatment, we know that the cost is often a barrier.  This targeted funding will go a long way to making sure patients continue treatment in pursuit of recovery.”

In designing the program, TDMHSAS leaders envisioned a service model that is person-centered, coordinated, and comprehensive including education, psychosocial, medical, and recovery supports.  Among the goals of the project will be the enhancement of quality patient care and improved communication and collaboration across systems.  The department has collaborated with the Tennessee Department of Health and its affiliates to provide the integration of services needed by people with opioid use disorders.

“We are excited to offer a multi-faceted approach to medication-assisted treatment that incorporates referrals across systems,” said TDMHSAS Statistical Research Specialist and Licensed Psychologist Edwina Chappell, Ph. D.  “Treatment hubs and health entities will work together to ensure that every participant receives appropriate, recovery-focused, integrated care.”

Funding for this program will begin on Sept. 30, 2017, and run through 2020.