The Biden administration is looking to curb opioid use disorder in the U.S. with more than $1.6 billion of investment into community programs addressing the addiction and overdose crisis.

This is part of the White House’s larger strategy to prioritize behavioral health in its national agenda. The administration will put $1.5 billion towards bolstering access to substance use disorder services as part of SAMHSA’s State Opioid Response and Tribal Opioid Response grant programs.

SAMHSA – the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – is one of the government’s key behavioral health agencies.

States and territories will be able to use the funding to provide population health interventions like naloxone distribution and round-the-clock opioid treatment programs (OTPs), according to the White House announcement. It can also be used to fund overdose education programs and implement peer-support programs in emergency rooms.

Last year, there were 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. This represents a 28.5% increase in deaths from the previous year, according to the CDC. The agency noted that deaths from synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are also up year-over-year.

“Providing access to evidence-based, person-centered care is a central part of HHS’ strategy for ending the overdose crisis,” U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “I have heard many stories of despair from individuals battling addiction and from families who have lost loved ones to overdose. Through these grants, we are investing in evidence-based supports and services for individuals, families, and communities on the road to recovery. Through these grants, we are investing in hope.”

The White House will also invest $104 million in rural SUD prevention and treatment programs.

The funding, which is part of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, can be used to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs for people living with OUD in rural communities. It can also go towards workforce mentorship and training programs, and community education.

“Today we are taking action to support the critical needs of rural and tribal communities by expanding access to opioid use disorder treatment,” Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Carole Johnson said in a statement. “Too often, the needs and challenges of these communities are overlooked or not well served. At HRSA, we are focused on reaching the communities that need our support the most and helping them tackle the overdose crisis.”

Additionally, the government is looking to connect individuals with SUD to community resources with a $20.5 million investment. It will specifically be used to help individuals who have gone through the drug court system and need support to stabilize.

The White House has announced a number of mental health investments this year. Earlier in September, the Biden administration announced that it awarded $79.1 million OUD treatment and prevention efforts.

Additionally, the Safer Communities Act was passed in July. This act allocated more than $2 billion in mental health efforts focused on youth mental health and school-based health care.