Third Horizon Strategies, in partnership with Capitol Decisions, hosted a webinar on July 19 to inform key stakeholders about the potential for a $350 million recovery set-aside in the Substance Abuse Block Grant (SABG). Presenters – including Greg Williams, Tym Rourke, and Ashley DeGarmo from Third Horizon Strategies; Carol McDaid and Holly Strain from Capitol Decisions; and Aaron Kucharski from the Recovery Advocacy Project – provided background information about President Biden’s FY2022 proposal, the SABG program, timelines for congressional consideration, the role of Single State Authorities (SSAs), and information regarding recovery support domains that could benefit.
A recording of the webinar can be viewed below and the complete slide deck can be viewed here.
For background, the SABG is authorized and appropriated by the U.S. Congress, administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and managed at the state level by SSAs. President Biden’s FY 2022 Budget proposed funding increases for key substance use treatment and recovery sources, including a $1.65 billion increase ($3.5 billion total) to the SABG program that includes a new 10 percent recovery support set-aside that would require a $350 million investment in recovery support services.
Other increases are as follows:
| Program | Funding Request | Increase |
| SUD Block Grant (SABG) | $3.5 billion | $1.65 billion |
| State Opioid Response (SOR) | $2.25 billion | $750 million |
| Building Communities of Recovery (BCOR) | $20 million | $10 million |
| Recovery Community Support Program (RCSP) | $5.1 million | $2.7 million |
The SAMHSA Budget Summary justifies the set-aside by stating, “Currently, there is no dedicated source of funding of community recovery resources. As a result, only 140 (150) communities have a recovery community organization. This funding set-aside would provide a sustainable source of funding directly to community organizations to support development of a community-level recovery infrastructure and will be available for a wide variety of recovery support programs.”
During the webinar, the presenters reviewed types of recovery support services that can help expand the continuum of care for people with substance use disorders and their families including recovery community centers, recovery homes, recovery schools, recovery community organizations, and peer recovery support. This new proposed set-aside will build upon the more than two decades of practice innovation that began when SAMHSA awarded the first Recovery Community Services Program in 1998. A breakdown of the proposed funding amounts based on the SABG formula that would be given to each state and territory can be viewed here.
Key Actions You Can Take:
- Add your organization as an endorser of the proposed Recovery Set-Aside – action being led by Faces & Voices of Recovery
- Ask your Governor to support the proposed Recovery Set-Aside – action being led by the Recovery Advocacy Project
To learn more about how Third Horizon Strategies can support communities and organizations to design improved policies, systems, and incentives for producing long-term recovery outcomes, please reach out to a member of our Mental Health and Addiction team.