WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) announced the award of a $459,967 federal grant to Salisbury University from the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Specifically, funding comes from the Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program, which aims to increase the number of peer support specialists and other behavioral health-related paraprofessionals who work on interprofessional teams to provide services to children whose parents are impacted by opioid use disorders (OUD) and other substance use disorders (SUD), and their family members in guardianship roles.
Congressman Harris made the following statement:
“As a physician, I am particularly concerned about the opioid crisis, which has hit the Eastern Shore of Maryland especially hard. Nationwide efforts are helping to deal with the increasing overdoses during the COVID crisis, and programs like this highlight the risks associated with opioid abuse, and allow more trained professionals to intervene and protect our vulnerable youth, which is of particular concern for their long term health and development. These are important investments in the health and well-being of our local communities, and I applaud HHS for awarding Salisbury University this funding to further our efforts to mitigate the effects of the opioid crisis on the Lower Shore.”
