SAMHSA Awards HIT grants - October 18, 2011

On Oct. 11, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded 29 new grants to expand the use of health information technology (HIT) to increase access to behavioral health services. This grant program is part of SAMHSA’s strategic initiative on HIT, which focuses on leveraging technology to improve access to and coordination of the treatment of mental and substance use disorders for priority populations, including underserved populations. Grantees plan to use web-based services, smart phones and behavioral health electronic applications to enhance communication between patients and health care providers and to better manage patients’ health. Awardees may receive up to $280,000 annually over 3 years depending on availability of funding and progress toward meeting program goals.