The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has established a new financing center of excellence intended to generate new approaches to funding addiction and mental-health services as well as promoting best practices developed across the country.

"Our goal is to provide individuals working to improve the nation's health with insight on maximizing financial support for mental health and substance abuse services," said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H.  "By serving as a source of innovation and information dissemination, SAMHSA can greatly advance its goal of increasing prevention and treatment service capacity and improving effectiveness."

SAMHSA awarded a five-year, $7.3-million contract to Deloitte Consulting LLP to set up and run the center. Activities will include monitoring and analyzing service-delivery funding in the public and private sector, tapping experts to identify sustainable funding mechanisms, and communicating with the public about addiction and mental-health funding.