Valleywise Health Awarded Two Grants to Strengthen Behavioral Health Services

Funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) expands treatment for opioid use disorder and early intervention for young people at risk of psychosis

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Valleywise Health has received two competitive grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), expanding access to specialized behavioral health care for two distinct populations: adults affected by opioid use disorder, and adolescents and young adults showing early signs of psychosis.

The first award, $750,000 annually for five years ($3.75 million total), comes through SAMHSA's Medication Assisted Treatment - Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction program. Valleywise Health is one of only four organizations in Arizona, and the only awardee in Maricopa County, selected to receive this highly competitive funding.

The award supports the MOSAIC program, which expands access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) through integrated, whole-person care delivered by multidisciplinary teams focused on patient engagement, care coordination and health outcomes. MOSAIC builds on Valleywise Health's SAMHSA-supported Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, which has served individuals with opioid use disorder for the past five years, and will allow the health system to further refine its programming to meet the needs of the populations it serves.

Valleywise Health is also one of just 12 organizations nationwide to receive funding through SAMHSA's Clinical High-Risk for Psychosis program. Over the next four years, this grant will enhance services at Valleywise Health's two evidence-based First Episode Centers, which provide specialized care for adolescents and young adults.

The funding will add trauma-informed screening, rapid diagnostic assessment and stepped care interventions designed to reduce untreated symptoms and prevent progression to first-episode psychosis. Valleywise Health will also expand referral pathways through partnerships with schools, crisis providers and pediatric practices, so more young people can be assessed and treated sooner.

"Programs like MOSAIC and our First Episode Centers are highly specialized, and they exist because partners like SAMHSA invest in them," said Vicki Staples, Director of Outpatient Behavioral Health Programs. "These aren't one-size-fits-all services. One team is catching the earliest signs of psychosis in a teenager before it can derail their future. Another is walking alongside an adult who is rebuilding their life after opioid addiction. This funding lets us grow that kind of focused, intensive care, reach people sooner and keep it available for the patients who need it most."

Together, the awards strengthen behavioral health care at two critical points: reaching young people before serious mental illness takes hold, and supporting adults on the path to long-term recovery from opioid use disorder. Both programs reflect Valleywise Health's commitment to evidence-based, whole-person care that meets patients where they are and connects them to the full range of services they need.

For more information on Valleywise Health's behavioral health services, visit www.valleywisehealth.org/services/behavioral-health.