42 U.S.C. § 290ee–6 — Regional Centers of Excellence in Substance Use Disorder Education

(a) In general The Secretary, consulting with appropriate agencies, awards cooperative agreements naming eligible entities as Regional Centers of Excellence in Substance Use Disorder Education, to improve health professional training resources on substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery. (b) Eligibility To be eligible, an entity must: (1) be an accredited entity offering education to students in health professions, which may include a teaching hospital, medical school, certified behavioral health clinic, or another health professions school, school of public health, or Cooperative Extension Program at an institution of higher education engaged in substance use disorder prevention, treatment, or recovery; (2) demonstrate community engagement and partnerships, including with entities that train health professionals, mental health counselors, social workers, peer recovery specialists, substance use treatment programs, community health centers, physician offices, certified behavioral health clinics, research institutions, and law enforcement; and (3) submit an application with required information. (c) Activities A funded entity must develop, evaluate, and distribute evidence-based resources on preventing and treating substance use disorders and recovering from them, which may cover the neurology and pathology of substance use disorders, advancements in treatment, techniques and best practices to support recovery, prevention/treatment/recovery strategies across patient populations, and other relevant topics. (d) Geographic distribution The Secretary must take regional differences into account and try to ensure geographic distribution among awardees. (e) Evaluation The Secretary must evaluate each funded entity's project and share the findings with appropriate public and private entities. (f) Funding Congress authorized $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.