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Colorado gets nearly $1M in grant money to expand opioid addiction treatment services

Posted at 10:04 AM, Sep 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-08 12:05:08-04

DENVER – Colorado received nearly $1 million in grant money Thursday to help battle the opioid addiction crisis in heavily-affected areas of the state.

The $950,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will be used by the state Department of Human Services to expand the Colorado Medication Assisted Treatment Program, which helps administer methadone and other treatments to heroin and prescription drug abusers.

State-licensed treatment centers in Denver, Boulder, Arapahoe, Adams, Jefferson, El Paso and Pueblo counties will be able to apply for a portion of the money through requests for proposals with the CDHS Office of Behavioral Health in the next three weeks.

The state has identified those areas as having the highest rates of opioid abuse.

The state says it aims to bring treatment to 250 more people with the grant money, which may also be used to expand professional training for users in the affected areas.

CDHS says 3,500 people are currently enrolled in methadone treatment programs, but estimates around 40,000 people need treatment for opioid addiction.

There is potential for the grant to be extended for four more years.

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