Substance Use & Recovery · Readiness · 6 min read
Is your organization ready for RHTP? A checklist for substance use and recovery programs
substance use and recovery programs are RHTP-ready when they have a fundable program tied to the right allowable-use categories, a partner relationship with the state's mechanism, a measurement plan, and a path to sustainability beyond FY2030. The most common gap is sustainability planning.
Readiness checklist
Before pursuing RHTP dollars, substance use and recovery programs should be able to answer yes to each:
- Do you have a fundable program (e.g., medication-assisted treatment (MAT) expansion in rural clinics)?
- Can you map it to evidence-based prevention and chronic-disease management, and consumer-facing, technology-driven solutions?
- Do you know your state's solicitation path? (SUD providers usually participate as sub-recipients of a state behavioral health or rural health agency, often partnering with hospitals for warm handoffs.)
- Can you measure treatment initiation and engagement rates and related outcomes?
- Do you have a sustainability plan for after FY2030?
The gap most organizations miss
Programs that cannot show retention and engagement data struggle to compete; build measurement in from day one.
Frequently asked questions
- What disqualifies substance use and recovery programs most often?
- A weak measurement story or no sustainability plan. Programs that cannot show retention and engagement data struggle to compete; build measurement in from day one.
- How long does readiness take to build?
- Organizations with an existing program and data can be ready in weeks; those starting from scratch should plan for months.
Figures reflect the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program NOFO and the December 2025 award announcement. RHTP Tracker is an independent resource by Moodr Health and is not affiliated with CMS.