Family Health to Receive $250k in Federal Resources to support and expand mental health and substance abuse treatment services

SEN. BROWN ANNOUNCES $500,000 IN NEW FEDERAL RESOURCES TO EXPAND MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES AT WESTERN OHIO HEALTH CENTERS

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Awarded $1.75 Million Statewide to Aid in Treatment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded $500,000 in funding through the health law to two western Ohio health centers to help support and expand their mental health and substance abuse treatment services. This funding will enable the health centers to hire additional mental health professionals, to better integrate mental health and substance abuse care programs into primary care models, and to increase the number of services available to patients.

“Health centers play a vital role in helping Ohioans obtain access to primary and preventive health care services,” Brown said. “This funding from the health law will help more western Ohioans receive affordable and accessible mental health and substance abuse care.”

The Health Centers awarded funds in western Ohio are below:

Health Center	City	Award Amount
Family Health Services of Darke County, Inc.	Greenville	$250,000
Rocking Horse Center	Springfield	$250,000

Ohio’s 43 health centers provide primary and preventive health care, including substance abuse services, to more than 550,000 Ohioans, regardless of their ability to pay. Ohio received $1,750,000 total to expand services at seven of its health centers.

Brown has led the fight against substance abuse in Ohio communities. In July, he cosponsored The Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment Act (TREAT Act), legislation that would change U.S. law to enable more health care providers to provide medically-assisted treatment for larger numbers of patients struggling with addiction. Federal law disallows physicians from treating more than 30 opioid abuse patients during their first year and they are restricted to treating only 100 patients per year afterwards. Brown’s TREAT Act would ease restrictions for qualified healthcare providers, allowing more substance abuse patients to receive the help they need.