Rhode Island is receiving an 11-point-4 million-dollar federal grant to expand efforts to prevent opioid addiction, reduce overdoses, and connect individuals to treatment.
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo announced the funding Thursday.
“Too many families have lost loved ones to overdoses and opioid addiction has shattered too many lives. This federal funding will strengthen the state’s coordinated response to combat addiction, reduce overdose rates, and put recovery within reach for more Rhode Islanders. It will better connect people in need to services across the continuum of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. This is a needed investment in saving lives, healthier communities, and helping residents affected by opioid addiction get the care and treatment they need,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services (L-HHS), who helped include $1.575 billion for State Opioid Response Grants in the 2024 appropriations law, as well as $2 billion for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant.
Other initiatives supported by the grant include strengthening recovery programs, improving prevention efforts, and enhancing data collection on treatment outcomes.
(Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images