42 U.S.C. § 290dd–4 — Program to support coordination and continuation of care for drug overdose patients

(a) In general HHS must identify or help develop best practices for: (1) emergency treatment of a known or suspected drug overdose; (2) using recovery coaches, when appropriate, to encourage people who survive a non-fatal overdose to seek substance use disorder treatment and to help coordinate ongoing care; (3) coordinating and continuing care and treatment after an overdose, including through referrals; and (4) providing or prescribing overdose-reversal medication, when appropriate. (b) Grant establishment and participation (1) In general The Secretary awards competitive grants to eligible entities to run voluntary care and treatment programs for people after a drug overdose, which can include the best practices from (a). (2) Eligible entity An eligible entity is: (A) a state substance abuse agency; (B) an Indian Tribe or tribal organization; or (C) an entity — such as an emergency department — that treats or serves people in response to drug overdoses, working with a state substance abuse agency. (3) Application An applicant must submit evidence it can carry out (or coordinate with other community entities to carry out) the required activities, evidence it will work with a recovery community organization to recruit, train, hire, mentor, and supervise recovery coaches, and any other information the Secretary requires. (4) Use of grant funds A grantee must use the funds to: (A) hire or use recovery coaches who connect patients to a continuum of care — treatment and recovery programs, non-clinical recovery support, peer networks, recovery community organizations, health providers, education and training providers, employers, housing services, and child welfare agencies — teach overdose prevention and reversal to patients and families, follow up with patients after an overdose, collect and evaluate outcome data, and provide other services the Secretary finds necessary, including culturally appropriate services; (B) establish policies, under federal and state law, for providing overdose-reversal medication and other approved drugs or biological products to treat substance use disorder, and for continuing or referring patients to evidence-based treatment, to support long-term treatment, prevent relapse, and reduce recidivism and future overdose; and (C) establish integrated models of care — such as patient assessment, follow-up, and transportation to and from treatment facilities — for people who've had a non-fatal drug overdose. (5) Additional permissible uses Grant money may also be used, directly or by contract, to provide: (A) approved drugs, devices, or biological products to treat substance use disorders or reverse overdose; (B) withdrawal and detoxification services, including patient evaluation, stabilization, and preparation for treatment; or (C) mental health services from a certified, licensed professional who assesses patients' psychosocial background, contributes to their treatment plan, and monitors their progress. (6) Preference The Secretary gives preference to applicants that: (A) are certain small or underserved hospitals — critical access, low-volume, sole-community, or disproportionate-share hospitals; (B) are located in a state or under a Tribe's jurisdiction with an overdose death rate above the national average; or (C) will place recovery coaches in both health care and community settings. (7) Period of grant A grant lasts no more than 5 years. (c) Definitions (1) "Indian Tribe" and "tribal organization" mean what those terms mean in 25 U.S.C. § 5304. (2) A "recovery coach" is someone with knowledge of or experience with substance use disorder recovery, who has completed training from — and is in good standing with — a qualified recovery services organization. (3) "Recovery community organization" has the meaning given in section 290ee–2(a). (d) Reporting Requirements (1) Reports by grantees Each year, a grantee must report: (A) how many people it treated for non-fatal overdoses, including how many got overdose-reversal medication; (B) how many got medication-assisted treatment; (C) how many were referred to other treatment facilities, what kind, and how many were admitted; and (D) how often and how many patients had reoccurrences, including readmissions for non-fatal overdose and evidence of relapse. (2) Report by Secretary Within 5 years of October 24, 2018, the Secretary must report to Congress, evaluating the program's effectiveness on long-term health outcomes, the share of patients treated or referred to treatment, and the frequency of relapse, readmission, or repeat overdose. (e) Privacy All data reporting and program oversight under this section must follow applicable federal and state privacy laws. (f) Authorization of appropriations Congress authorized $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.