US Department of Labor awards $3.6M in incremental funding for grant providing employment, training services to respond to opioid crisis

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced incremental funding of $3,666,666, to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to continue providing services to communities statewide significantly affected by the health and economic impacts of widespread opioid use, addiction and overdose.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant funding totaling $11 million supports the creation of disaster-relief jobs and employment services to eligible individuals in Ohio. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency in October 2017, enabling Ohio to request this funding.

Funding will provide eligible participants employment in positions addressing the impacts of the opioid crisis, such as peer recovery coaches and social service aids assisting children placed in foster care resultant of parental substance abuse. The project will also provide training and employment services to eligible participants impacted by the crisis and seeking careers in in-demand jobs related to addiction, treatment, prevention and pain management.

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.