STR grants: How one physician in rural Florida is trying to help

If the State Targeted Response (STR) and State Opioid Response (SOR) grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants are like an elephant — large, especially relative to funding for addiction treatment in general — they are also almost impossible to generalize about. But seeing one piece in context of the whole is essential in trying to find out where the money is actually going. The money goes to the single state authority (SSA) in charge of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) block grant in each state, the person who knows most about what is needed in that state. The funding comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These grants added $2 billion‐plus to addiction treatment services for opioid use disorders for four years — and many expect this number to be doubled. For perspective, the entire SAPT block grant is under $2 billion and has been for decades.