U.S. Department of Labor Awards National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant to Mississippi in Response to Opioid Crisis

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an opioid-crisis National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $4,710,000, with $2,134,933 released initially, to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. The grant will support disaster-relief jobs and provide employment services to eligible individuals in Mississippi affected by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction, and overdose.

This grant provides eligible participants with disaster-relief employment opportunities, such as a peer recovery positions, that help opioid-affected individuals gain access to resources and navigate the path to recovery.

It will also provide employment and training services to reintegrate eligible individuals back into the workforce. The state anticipates serving approximately 2,360 grant participants across 45 counties.

“The U.S. Department of Labor’s National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grants provide tools to individuals across the country to overcome the devastating effects of the opioid crisis,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “This investment in Mississippi’s response capabilities will help to expand the availability of crucial employment services in the state.”

“I would like to thank the U.S. Department of Labor for approving the opioid-crisis National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant to help alleviate the issues caused by the opioid crisis in our state,” said Governor Phil Bryant. “These funds have the potential to help individuals re-enter the workforce after recovering from opioid addiction.”

In October 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency, enabling Mississippi to request this funding.

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.