Fund the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment program
Recommendation
Congress should increase appropriations for the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program established by 34 U.S.C. § 10421 and amend 34 U.S.C. § 10422 so grant awards are contingent upon the use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT).[1]
Background/summary
The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program includes grants to state, local and tribal prisons and jails to provide mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) treatment and resources to incarcerated adults and youth.[2] To receive funding, grant recipients must provide aftercare services to individuals who participate in MH/SUD treatment and services while incarcerated.[3] These services include education, job training, and peer, self-help, and half-way house programs.[4] The “Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment Act,” as introduced in the 118th Congress, expands residential SUD treatment programs under RSAT to include the use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT).[5] In addition to aftercare services, eligibility for grants made through the RSAT program should be contingent upon the use of MAT.[1][6]
citations
1. The Kennedy Forum. Recommendations of Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy to the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. Last Updated October 2017.
2. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners (RSAT) Program. Last Updated March 14, 2023.
3. U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel, United States Code. 34 USC 10421: Grant authorization. (n.d.)
4. U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel, United States Code. 34 USC 10422: State applications. (n.d.)
5. Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment Act of 2023. H.R. 238 (Jackson Lee), 118th Congress (2023-2024). Last Updated January 10, 2023.
6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration. Information about Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). Last Updated May 23, 2023.