Seeking Products to Address Social Needs impacting Substance Use Disorders (SUD) (R43/R44 Clinical Trial Optional)

The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to support applications from small business concerns (SBCs) to develop technologies for commercialization to address health-related social needs that impact substance use disorders (SUD), excluding alcohol use disorder. Background In 2021, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) noted that 61 million people ages 12 and older used illicit drugs in the past year. Nationwide, the Association of American Medical Colleges has reported 21 million people with a SUD, and just 11% of them received treatment. With so many individuals struggling with SUD, and very few receiving treatment, the SUD crisis will worsen. It will take a more comprehensive approach to address the crisis; including addressing the individual's health-related social needs (HRSN) that are influenced by their living conditions. The health of people struggling with SUD is inextricably bound to their social environment. Social determinants of health (SDH) can directly shape health risk behaviors. Moreover, public health experts have long recognized the impact of SDH on health outcomes. While SDH are seen as the surrounding conditions of people’s existence, HRSN are the individual’s unique social conditions from five core categories established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Accountable Health Communities Model (housing instability, food insecurity, nonmedical transportation, utility needs, and personal safety) resulting from fundamental SDH. SDH manifest in the living conditions and resources that indirectly exacerbate the consequences of drug use. For example, inadequate housing can increase the likelihood of infectious disease transmission, stable social relationships can offer protective financial and emotional resources, and more cohesive neighborhoods are more likely to provide appropriate support and care. HRSN are displayed as people struggling with SUD being able to pay their utility bills while living in inadequate housing, being able to purchase food without sacrificing money for rent, and being able to navigate their community without concern for their personal safety. While SDH, such as poverty, homelessness, and incarceration, among others, impact behaviors that lead to SUD, being able to identify and address the unique HRSN of people struggling with SUD, by using technology, can serve as a catalyst to filling the service gaps that government and the medical community cannot do alone. The public and private sectors, utilizing the infinite capabilities of technology, can collaborate to create new paths and form new business models to address the many direct health-related social needs of people already struggling with SUD. Research Objectives A variety of products addressing the individual-level factors of HRSN should be considered to confront SUD. Additionally, technology, such as telemedicine and mobile health applications, provide an opportunity to address HRSN with the ability to provide tested, accessible, and ongoing solutions for individuals who are the most at-risk for these risk factors that impact SUD. According to SAMHSA, technology has several advantages in addressing SUD including decreased waiting periods, decreased stigma impact and increased privacy. The advantages of technology are also exhibited in its capability to make treatment services more accessible and convenient, which can aid to improve SUD outcomes and reduce disparities. Regarding this NOFO, a product is any source of value for the end-users and customers. A product can be a physical/tangible device as well as digital services, software as a service, or non-physical/non-tangible products (including but not limited to digital applications, digital platforms, or service models). These and other comparable examples could be considered eligible products. Products can be the result of original scientific research, recycled existing technology for SUD, extension of an observation into SUD area, development of a new business model or distribution/delivery channel that reveals currently unseen value, or the delivery of a product or service to disregarded consumers. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) supports the development of evidence-based SUD care and treatment technology from multiple funding opportunities published elsewhere. The eligible small businesses can submit applications focusing on products that reduce costs, time, and/or increase access in addressing HRSN including, but not limited to, housing instability, non-medical transportation, food insecurity, utility needs, and personal safety. The products should provide the best feasible and accessible opportunities for the intended end-users to measurably improve their HRSN and SUD. Products of interest that address, but are not limited to, the following HRSN include: Access to housing services. Soft skills development and/or job training (e.g., in entrepreneurship, literacy, financial literacy, IT skills) for employment. Stigma and nurture compassion. Family healthy behaviors, social skills, community opportunities, and productive social involvement. Social stability (community, tradition, faith, family), self-regulation, and resilience. Well-being (mental, physical, spiritual), communal belonging, and positive productivity. Social support networks for recovery, engagement with care, and/or access to needed services. Successful community reintegration for formerly incarcerated people. Social needs service engagement and coordination among justice-involved organizations. Employer education to hire, retain, and facilitate treatment for employees seeking help for SUD.