The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released two funding opportunities to award a total of $6,000,000 for tuition scholarships to improve behavioral health outcomes and substance use disorder treatment across the state.
"Increasing access to treatment and prevention services begins with continuing to improve our provider network, and these scholarships will help us grow a well-trained workforce to address the needs of individuals with SUD and reduce stigma," said Deepa Avula, director of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services. "Individuals struggling with SUD deserve a qualified workforce who can meet their needs, and our communities will benefit from expanded high-quality, evidence-based SUD prevention and treatment."
- Addiction Education Minority Fellowship Program: The total amount of funding available in this request for applications is $3,000,000. Institutions may apply for a maximum of $200,000 per year for each of the two years this opportunity is available (for a total of $400,000). The agencies will provide tuition scholarship/stipend opportunities to students from ethnic/racial minority groups to pursue degrees that support work in the addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery fields. A focus on growing the minority provider workforce aims specifically to address disparities and increase equity in access to care for all with substance use disorders.
- Expansion of Practitioner Education: The total amount of funding available in this RFA is $3,000,000. Institutions and organizations may apply for a maximum of $150,000 per year for each of the two years this opportunity is available (for a total of $300,000). The purpose of this initiative is to expand the integration of substance use disorder education into the standard curriculum of relevant health care and health services education programs, which will ultimately increase access to, and improve the quality of, substance use disorder treatment services.
For details on the applications and performance timelines, eligibility criteria for applying and allowable uses of program funds, visit www.ncdhhs.gov/about/grant-opportunities/mental-health-developmental-disabilities-and-substance-abuse-services-grant-opportunities.