The intent of the 115 grants, which will be administered by SAMHSA, is to target African-American, Hispanic/Latino, and other racial and ethnic minority communities that have been affected by the twin epidemics of addiction and HIV/AIDS.

"The current trend in HIV/AIDS shows that a disproportionate number of minorities who live in inner cities are affected by or at risk for contracting HIV. Often this population is poor, hard to reach through traditional public health methods, and in need of a wide range of health and human services. These grants will help community-based organizations build substance-abuse prevention and treatment services and establish networks among substance-abuse treatment centers, medical personnel, mental-health personnel, and public-health professionals to prevent further spread of the disease and to provide high-quality care to infected individuals," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie.

The funding will be used to enhance and expand addiction treatment and outreach services, pretreatment, and prevention services in conjunction with HIV/AIDS services in the community.