GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs today announced awards of more than $333 million to help communities affected by the opioid crisis. $4,096,482 will help public safety and public health professionals in the Western District of Michigan combat substance abuse and respond effectively to overdoses. OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan made the announcement during a visit with local, state and federal officials in West Virginia, one of the states hardest hit by the epidemic.
"The opioid crisis has destroyed far too many lives and left too many Americans feeling helpless and hopeless," said PDAAG Sullivan. "This epidemic-the most deadly in our nation’s history-is introducing new dangers and loading public health responsibilities onto the public safety duties of our law enforcement officers. The Department of Justice is here to support them during this unprecedented and extremely challenging time."
With more than 130 people dying from opioid-related overdoses every day, the Department of Justice has made fighting addiction to opioids-including heroin and fentanyl-a national priority. The Trump Administration is providing critical funding for a wide range of activities- from preventive services and comprehensive treatment to recovery assistance, forensic science services and research-to help save lives and break the cycle of addiction and crime.
The awards announced today support an array of activities designed to reduce the harm inflicted by these dangerous drugs. Grants will help law enforcement officers, emergency responders and treatment professionals coordinate their response to overdoses. Funds will also provide services for children and youth affected by the crisis and will support the nationwide network of drug and treatment courts. Other awards will address prescription drug abuse, expand the capacity of forensic labs and support opioid-related research.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge commented that: "The opioid crisis is a public health crisis and not just a law enforcement problem. The Department of Justice recognizes that reality with this financial support for important Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Programs and affected youth initiatives in West Michigan."
The following awards were made to organizations in the Western District of Michigan through the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, which provides financial and technical assistance to facilitate collaborations between criminal justice, mental health and substance abuse treatment systems to serve individuals with mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse issues. While not all awards made under the JMHCP program are focused explicitly on addressing the opioids epidemic, these Michigan efforts focus specifically on opioid-related issues.
Van Buren County $750,000
County of Muskegon $750,000
City of Muskegon $100,000
City of Battle Creek $750,000
In addition, the Michigan Department of State Police received $1,000,000 under the Opioid Affected Youth Initiative. This program helps recipients develop data-driven responses to opioid abuse.
In addition, Cass County received $746,482 under the Family Drug Court Program. This program helps build the capacity of those who receive funds to sustain existing family drug courts or establish new ones.
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
