Two area recovery programs for drug addicts are getting federal grants to help drug abusers get back on the job.
The Appalachian Regional Commission announced Thursday it has awarded a $500,000 grant to the Southeast Tennessee Development District (SETD) in Chattanooga to develop a centralized technical network among regional agencies. In Dalton,Georgia, Highland Rivers Behavioral Health will receive $494,060 to develop partnerships for recovery programs across Northwest Georgia.
The local grant recipients are among 33 selected projects announced by ARC, which is giving a total of $12 million in assistance through its Investments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) initiative.
America’s substance use disorder problems are worse in rural Appalachia than in most of the country. ARC said overdose mortality rates among those ages 25–54 were 43% percent in Appalachia than in the rest of the country.
“At ARC, we’re laser-focused on creating a comprehensive network of supports to help individuals recovering from substance use disorder succeed,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin in an announcement of the awards. “The substance use disorder crisis isn’t solely a health and family issue–it’s also a workforce development issue, and thus a community issue.”