WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — On the international day of overdose awareness and remembrance for those lost due to drug use, Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins announced nearly $7.5 million will go towards combatting Maine’s opioid crisis.
Ten Maine organizations—health centers, rural organizations, and hospitals—received a total of $7,455,970 to help combat the opioid crisis in Maine through funding awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The funding will help the organizations establish and expand access to integrated substance use disorder and mental health services, Collins and King said in a release.
According to the Maine Attorney General’s Office most recent drug death report, Maine has seen a 23 percent increase in overdose deaths in the first quarter of 2020 with 127 deaths. In 2019, there were 380 overdose deaths in Maine; 82 percent involved at least one opioid.
“The opioid crisis is devastating families and communities across our state, claiming the life of nearly one Mainer per day on average last year,” Collins and King said in a joint statement. “This important funding will give Mainers who are struggling with substance use disorders access to the treatment programs they need to achieve recovery and healing.”
Here’s how the funding was allocated:
- York Hospital received $125,000 through the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) Drug Free Communities (DFC) Grant Program.
- Healthy Acadia received $125,000 through the DFC Grant Program.
- The City of Portland has received $125,000 through the DFC Grant Program.
- The Bangor School Department received $125,000 through the DFC Grant Program.
- Redington-Fairview General Hospital received $125,000 through the DFC Grant Program.
- Maine General Medical Center received $125,000 through the DFC Grant Program.
- Aroostook Mental Health Center received $200,000 through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Grant Program (RCORP).
- Maine HHS received $6,255,970 through the State Opioid Response (SOR) Grant Program.
- Wabanaki Health and Wellness received $250,000 through the Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) Grant Program to provide medical-assisted treatment services to tribal communities.
- Aroostook Micmac Council received $125,000 through the TOR Grant Program.
Earlier this month, Collins and King announced that medical organizations in Brewer, Portland, Skowhegan, and Bangor have received a total of $4 million to combat substance and opioid use disorders.
