Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf announced that the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is awarding more than $2 million in federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants to provide employment support services for individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
The grants are part of the $55.9 million SAMSHA grant secured by the Wolf Administration to bolster the state’s response to the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic.
“We have not lost focus on the continuing opioid crisis in Pennsylvania,” Gov. Wolf said. “And now more than ever, employment services are vital to help people struggling during the pandemic with the loss of a job or need to find employment. These grants will help those with substance use disorder have a better chance at recovery by helping to access employment.”
“Just like having access to recovery supports and stable housing, employment is a critical component of a person’s sustained recovery,” said DDAP Secretary Jennifer Smith. “These grantees have support programs to equip people with necessary tools to find jobs and, as equally important in today’s job market, partnerships with employers to hire people in recovery. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this funding has on people and workplaces across the commonwealth.”
The funding will be directed to 14 organizations commonwealth-wide through grant agreements up to $200,000. Awardees will provide a wide variety of services including vocational assessments, resume writing, interviewing skills, job placement, and transportation assistance related to employment. Additionally, each awardee has identified one employer partner who is committed to hiring individuals in recovery from OUD.
| Awardee | Amount Awarded | County(ies) Supporting |
| New Roots, Inc. | $158,802 | Luzerne |
| Gaudenzia | $200,000 | Statewide |
| PA Counseling Services, Inc. | $200,000 | Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, York |
| Westmoreland Co. Community Action | $162,674 | Allegheny, Armstrong, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, Westmoreland |
| Community Action of Delaware County, Inc. | $104,856 | Delaware |
| Gateway to Employment | $114,470 | Lancaster |
| Allegheny IU | $191,768 | Allegheny |
| Blueprints | $200,000 | Washington, Greene |
| Unity Recovery | $198,772 | Philadelphia |
| Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 | $200,000 | Lancaster |
| Life’s Work of Western PA | $146,444 | Allegheny, Westmoreland, Washington, Fayette, Greene, Beaver |
| East End Cooperative Ministry | $180,223 | Allegheny |
| Anthony’s Way, Inc. | $88,889 | Adams, York |
| Lawrence County Social Services, Inc. | $150,000 | Lawrence |
During Gov. Wolf’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 is 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.
