Loan Repayment Available to Addiction Professionals Treating Underserved

Clinical addiction professionals who agree to deliver substance use treatment in underserved communities are now eligible for student loan repayment assistance under a new program from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Formally launched on Dec. 27, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program is offering awards of up to $75,000 in exchange for a commitment of three years of full-time service at an approved substance use disorder treatment site in a Health Professional Shortage Area community. The approved treatment sites are health care facilities generally providing comprehensive outpatient care to populations residing in these professional shortage areas, which are located in rural, frontier and urban communities.

A HRSA spokesperson tells Addiction Professional that Congress appropriated $225 million to the NHSC to improve access to treatment for opioid use disorders and other substance use problems.

“The current opioid crisis is daunting, but the new NHSC loan repayment program will help us make strides in this public health challenge,” HRSA Administrator George Sigounas, MS, PhD, wrote this month in a blog outlining the new loan repayment initiative.

Broadening eligibility

HRSA states in regard to the roles eligible for the assistance, “The program expands the treatment team disciplines to include registered nurses and pharmacists, recognizing these professionals are often part of a successful effort in providing care to patients with substance use disorders.” Addiction counselors, physicians and physician assistants are also among the eligible professionals.

Eligible clinicians must be trained and licensed to provide substance use disorder treatment at NHSC-approved facilities that deliver evidence-based care.

According to HRSA, priority will be given to applicants with a federal waiver to administer buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorders, as well as individuals who are certified in substance use disorder interventions (such as master's-level alcohol and drug counselors).

Part-time service options, with a maximum award of $37,500, also are available under the initiative.

Applications are currently being accepted through Feb. 21, with further details available online through the NHSC.

“Clinicians accepted to the program will ensure patients living with the disease of addiction have access to quality health care,” reads a statement from HRSA. “Without these clinicians, some patients would not have the resources they need to recover.”