Press Releases
04/21/2017
Gov. Malloy Announces $5.5 Million in Federal Grants for Connecticut’s Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the State of Connecticut is receiving $5.5 million federal grant to expand the state’s efforts to combat the prescription opioid and heroin crisis. The funding is being awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and will be used by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) to increase access to treatment, reduce unmet treatment need, and reduce opioid-related overdose deaths.
“Nearly every community in the country has been hit by the growing prescription pain killer epidemic, and our state agencies are working closely with local providers to treat and prevent it,” Governor Malloy said. “This is a complex crisis that does not have a simple solution, but our work on this front will not be finished until our communities and our families are no longer struggling with the grave costs of this illness.”
“This funding provides additional support for our state’s current collaborative efforts in tackling the opioid crisis,” DMHAS Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon said. “With these dollars, we will be able to increase activities with our partners across the state to improve prevention efforts, increase access to treatment and provide additional recovery supports for those who are at risk of or recovering from addiction.”
The new funding also promotes the evidence-based public health approach outlined in the Surgeon General’s recent report, Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. The report stresses the importance of the full range of services that will be funded through these grants – including getting vital treatment to people dealing with substance use disorders, and significantly reducing the number of substance use-related deaths.
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