FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2021
Wolf Administration Announces Grant Opportunities to Provide Employment Support Services for Individuals with Substance Use Disorder
Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced today the availability of $2.7 million in funding for entities to deliver employment support services to individuals in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) seeking to enter the workforce.
“A key component to an individual’s sustained recovery is steady, reliable employment,” said DDAP Secretary Jen Smith. “To date, we have significantly expanded access to treatment, and we are starting to shift our focus to the entire continuum of care. These grants will enable organizations to give individuals the necessary tools to succeed after treatment and empower their recovery.”
The grants are part of $55 million in federal funding awarded to Pennsylvania through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program COVID-19 Supplemental Awards. The funding spending plan submitted by DDAP is currently pending approval by SAMHSA. More information will be shared about this funding and supporting projects as it becomes available.
Eligible applicants can find the grant application and project summary on the DDAP website here. Five to eight grants will be awarded up to $400,000 for a wide variety of eligible items, including:
- Vocational assessments;
- Resume writing;
- Interviewing skills;
- Job placement; and
- Transportation assistance related to employment.
All applications must be submitted via email to RA-DAGrantsMgmt@pa.gov by 12:00PM on Monday, May 17, 2021. Applications will be competitively reviewed and scored based upon the applicant’s adherence to the funding announcement guidelines, and timely submission to DDAP. Additionally, awarding of the funds is contingent upon the approval of DDAP’s funding spending plan by SAMHSA.
Questions regarding the grants and the application process should be forwarded to RA-DAGrantsMgmt@pa.gov.
Throughout the Wolf Administration’s second term, DDAP is placing a heavy focus on reducing stigma associated with substance use disorder, intensifying primary prevention efforts, strengthening treatment systems, and empowering sustained recovery. The aim of these efforts, laid out in DDAP’s 2019-2022 State Plan, will be to positively influence the knowledge and behavior around the topic of addiction.
For more information about the work the Wolf Administration is doing to combat the opioid crisis, visit pa.gov/opioids.
MEDIA CONTACT: Ali Gantz, RA-DAPRESSOFFICE@pa.gov
