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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced more than $6 million in grant funding for organizations to establish or expand substance use disorder (SUD) services, community outreach, and education to underrepresented communities struggling with the opioid overdose crisis.
In 2020, overdose death rates increased 39 percent for Black Pennsylvanians, compared to 2019. In 2021, Black Pennsylvanians died from an overdose at a rate that was nearly two times higher than white Pennsylvanians.
Those eligible for this funding included organizations that provide services, outreach, and/or education to communities of color and promote access to harm reduction services, low-barrier SUD and medication-assisted treatment (MAT), recovery and peer supports, and/or offender reentry supports.
Through this funding award, 19 organizations are receiving grants up to $400,000 for a 12-month period beginning July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. Funds shall be applied toward a range of activities, including construction and building infrastructure, staffing, and evidence-based programming.
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) awarded $4 million in grant funding for the establishment of regional recovery hubs to enhance resources for individuals in recovery and promote recovery within communities across Pennsylvania.
The funding will allow each regional recovery hub to conduct an initial needs assessment for recovery support services in their specific region, including an estimate of individuals in need of these services and an analysis of their availability and accessibility. In addition, the hubs will develop a strategic plan, partnering with local organizations, that focuses on the importance of supporting multiple pathways to and through recovery, and will seek to promote recovery services in areas including peer support, family support, and self-care.
The regional recovery hubs throughout Pennsylvania will be designed to embed, expand, and promote a Recovery-Oriented-System of Care, which is a coordinated network of community-based services and supports that is person-centered, with the ultimate goal of improving the health, wellness, and quality of life for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder.
Grants up to $500,000 each will be awarded for the 15-month period beginning July 1, 2023, through September 29, 2024, to the following organizations serving the various regions:
Each grantee will use a hub and spoke model to provide recovery supports in their designated region. Each regional “hub” will support community-driven services that will serve as “spokes.” The hub will provide technical assistance and collaborate with a variety of community entities, sectors, and systems to enhance a recovery-supportive community and facilitate recovery support service delivery.
In addition, DDAP issued a Grant Initiative Funding Application (GIFA) for a regional recovery hub in Region 5, which includes York, Adams, Franklin, Fulton, Bedford, Cumberland, Perry, Dauphin, Lebanon, Huntington, Mifflin, Juniata, and Blair Counties.
The GIFA is available on DDAP’s website.
RCPA member Pyramid Healthcare, Inc., one of the largest private providers of behavioral healthcare in the United States, announced two key promotions at the highest level of the company, which will shape its direction for years to come. Effective January 1, 2024, Jason Hendricks will become Chief Executive Officer and Sarah Deutchman will take Hendrick’s current role as Chief Operating Officer. Current President and CEO Jonathan Wolf will remain in an active role as Chairman of the Board and management advisor.