DOL Awards Washington State $800,000 to Address Opioid Crisis -- Occupational Health & Safety

DOL Awards Washington State $800,000 to Address Opioid Crisis

The funding aims to bolster employment and training services in affected counties.

By Robert Yaniz Jr.
Oct 03, 2023

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded $800,000 to the Washington State Department of Employment Security.

According to a release dated Sept. 27, these funds will be used for mitigating the impacts of the opioid crisis in Clark and Cowlitz counties. This award will be directed toward the development of tailored disaster-relief employment and training services in the southwest Washington communities affected significantly by widespread opioid use, addiction and overdose.

This grant — part of the $1.4-million National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant program — will create disaster-relief positions in the regional workforce of southwest Washington. It will also provide employment and training services to workers facing long-term unemployment and homelessness related to the opioid crisis.

In October 2017, the opioid crisis was designated a national public health emergency by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, making this funding possible. Backed by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants offer temporary enhancement to the service capabilities of state and local dislocated worker programs. These grants provide financial support for unanticipated economic events leading to job losses.

About the Author

Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.

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