By Craig Anderson

DOVER - Delaware Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long announced on Friday the launch of the Prevention and Recovery Support Services Fund to reduce overdose deaths across the state by boosting access to support services in underserved communities.

According to a news release, the initiative will be funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and was championed by Delaware’s Congressional Delegation – U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons and U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. The act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, drug overdose deaths in Delaware continued to rise and have disproportionately impacted Black and Brown communities and people living in rural areas, the news release said.

The fund will leverage American Rescue Plan Act dollars to support organizations working in those communities to connect Delawareans with services that address the social factors that both put people at higher risk and make it more difficult to access substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment.

Funding will be awarded to service providers and community organizations, including faith-based and advocacy groups, and can be used to eliminate barriers for people experiencing or at-risk for developing substance use disorder when accessing services such as transportation, housing and workforce capacity.

“Too often our families and their loved one’s face difficulties securing housing, transportation, healthcare, and education. When those hardships are combined with economic insecurity, they pose significant barriers to sustained recovery from substance use disorder. I’ve seen it firsthand while personally administering Narcan to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Lt. Gov. Hall-Long said.

“By engaging and supporting organizations that work directly in our communities, we can better link Delawareans to the services they need and help prevent our at-risk neighbors from developing substance use disorder.

"I am grateful to President Biden and our federal delegation for delivering these much-needed resources to the communities that are too often forgotten.”

Organizations may apply for funding by visiting ltgov.delaware.gov/recovery-management-support-services-fund. Applications must be submitted by Oct. 28 to be considered for available funding.

Visit de.gov/rescueplan to learn more about the initiatives funded by American Rescue Plan Act.