Braiding: How state drug and alcohol treatment funders survive

Abstract

There's no way that publicly funded treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) can survive on any one program. This includes the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services (SUPTRS) Block Grant, which some people — and some states — think covers it all. Far from it, the block grant has remained at just about $2 billion for decades. So it's important from time to time to remind everyone — policymakers, treatment providers and patient advocates — that states and program managers can use braided funding, but often need more information on what sources are available and how they can be used.