The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced more than $6 million in grant funding for organizations to establish or expand substance use disorder (SUD) services, community outreach, and education to underrepresented communities struggling with the opioid overdose crisis. In 2020, overdose death rates increased 39% for Black Pennsylvanians compared to 2019. In 2021, Black Pennsylvanians died from an overdose at a rate that was nearly two times higher than White Pennsylvanians. Those eligible for this funding included organizations that provide services, outreach, and/or education to communities of color that promote access to harm reduction services, low-barrier SUD and medication-assisted treatment (MAT), recovery and peer supports, and/or offender reentry supports.
