In May of this year, Washington County opened up a new grant application for the use of the funds. By the time the application closed on June 11th, there were 18 grant applications. The Washington County Department of Human Services is currently reviewing the applications, and awardees are to be announced on July 18th at the Washington County Commissioner Meeting.
The county will be disbursing these grant funds to projects that fall under the guidance of Exhibit E to ensure the funds are being used properly. CCJ will work to ensure that service providers in our area are made aware of these funds and that the money is helping those for whom these funds were earmarked: our families, friends, and neighbors who need help with substance abuse issues. We plan to meet with county officials and will share updates as we receive them. If you would like to take part in any way, please feel free to reach out to our Community Organizer Paul Fedore at 412-229-7333 or paul@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org.
Substance use recovery grant program passes Pa House
House Bill 1783 passed on a 187 to 14 vote on Wednesday, June 12th, 2024. A large portion of the language in this piece of legislation was taken and amended from a previously stalled bill from November 23rd of last year, House Bill 1650. HB 1783 would create a lifetime grant program for substance use recovery and mandate the creation and distribution of opioid awareness materials.
The bill, if passed in the Senate, would allow recovery support providers, people in recovery, and family members of people in recovery to apply for the grant program through the state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP). It also calls for the creation of educational materials detailing information about the disease, signs of an opioid-related overdose, how to take action if you witness an overdose, and where to get medications such as naloxone that block the effects of opioids. These materials would be distributed to commonwealth agencies, transportation authorities, and municipalities.
If signed into law, this would be an exciting and impactful opportunity to direct funds to those who have been directly impacted by the opioid crisis and to those working on the frontlines. It has the potential to save lives and have real, lasting positive impacts on our communities.
Soon we’ll have an action alert that you can sign to encourage your Senator to vote yes on passing HB 1783 and allow this lifetime grant program to happen. Please watch our socials and your email for this action alert!
If you would like to know more about this work or get involved, please contact our Community Organizer Paul Fedore at 412-229-7333 or paul@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org.
