Kaptur Announces $1M Federal Grant to Combat Opioid Epidemic in Erie CountyPress ReleaseHealth Care

Washington, D.C.- Today, Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) announced the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded a highly competitive $1 million grant to combat the opioid epidemic in Erie County.

The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded a $1 million grantto the Erie County Health Department to implement the Erie County Pathways program - a five-point plan to combat the opioid epidemic in Erie County. The federal grant will provide funding for law enforcement and social workers, prevention, treatment and recovery services, drug take-back initiatives, naloxone distribution, and more.

"Opioids have stolen lives and ravaged communities across the country," said Rep. Kaptur. "Combatting this epidemic in Northwest Ohio requires an all-of-the-above approach to heal those who are afflicted and hold traffickers accountable. This $1 million federal grant will aid law enforcement and first responders on the front lines while connecting those in need of treatment with the services that guide them on their path to recovery."

"Through the new Department of Justice Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse grant, the Erie County Health Department and Erie County Community Health Center will be expanding our Circle of Care model," said Erie County Assistant Health Commissioner Trey Hardy. "The grant program will be called the Erie County Pathways program. The objectives of the grant will be to provide needed counseling and support for law enforcement and first responders helping in the community fight against substance abuse. We will be expanding a school education program within the community to enhance cognitive behavioral skills, as well as explaining the harmful effects of substance abuse. The Pathways program will also provide additional resources to individuals stabilized in recovery programming focusing on co-occurring mental illness, infectious disease, and other behavioral or medical risks."

More information on the Department of Justice grant to combat the opioid epidemic in Erie County can be found here.

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For more information, contact Chris Dalton at [email protected].