Federal Block Grant Award Summary

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services received a $1,881,685 Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CFDA 93.959), awarded October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2027. This two-year block grant supports the development and implementation of comprehensive substance use prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation activities throughout Maine, consistent with the statutory purpose of the federal program to address alcohol and drug abuse disorders. The grant aligns with federal regulatory requirements under 2 CFR Subpart F and 45 CFR Part 96, with funds available for obligation during the fiscal years of allocation and the subsequent fiscal year.

Maine DHHS distributed the block grant funding through multiple sub-awards to specialized service providers across the state to deliver evidence-based substance use disorder services. Key sub-awardees include Aroostook Mental Health Services (providing residential rehabilitation and detoxification services), Sweetser (delivering overdose response assessment and behavioral health crisis de-escalation with clinical staff embedded in law enforcement agencies), Community Health and Counseling Services (providing opioid use disorder and substance use disorder response with medication-assisted treatment and Medicaid navigation assistance), Maine Access Points (conducting overdose prevention education and outreach to high-risk populations), and Healthy Communities of the Capital Area (administering public health prevention services focused on tobacco and substance use prevention). Additional sub-awards support post-overdose response teams through the City of Bangor, community outreach and engagement through the City of Portland and Maine General Medical Center, and prevention and health promotion services through Mainehealth and Cumberland County. These coordinated services address Maine's opioid epidemic through harm reduction, treatment access expansion, crisis intervention, and community engagement initiatives.