Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) Thursday announced that 15 community health centers across the state have received a total of $4,038,000 in critical federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support increased treatment and prevention for opioid and substance abuse.
“It is of the utmost importance that we work to fund the fight against the national opioid crisis,” Shelby said in a statement.
“Nearly every county in Alabama is affected by this growing problem. These HHS grants will allow community health centers across the state to provide treatment to patients with opioid and substance abuse and support addiction prevention programs, helping our communities tackle this widespread epidemic,” he added.
This type of HHS grant supports health centers across the nation in implementing and advancing evidence-based strategies that best meet the substance use disorder and mental health needs of the populations they serve.
The following 15 community health centers in Alabama will receive the announced funding:
- Bayou La Batre Area Health Development Board, Inc., Bayou La Batre – $285,000
- Christ Health Center, Inc., Birmingham – $285,000
- Alabama Regional Medical Services, Birmingham – $285,000
- Aletheia House, Inc., Birmingham – $201,750
- Cahaba Medical Care Foundation, Centreville – $296,000
- Quality of Life Services, Inc., Gadsden – $293,000
- Central North Alabama Health, Huntsville – $285,000
- Health Services, Inc., Montgomery – $285,000
- Franklin Primary Health Center, Inc., Mobile – $285,000
- Mobile County Health Department, Mobile – $285,000
- Capstone Rural Health Center, Parrish – $287,250
- Rural Health Medical Program, Inc., Selma – $285,000
- Northeast Alabama Health Services, Inc., Scottsboro – $110,000
- S.E. Alabama Rural Health Associates, Troy – $285,000
- Whatley Health Services, Inc., Tuscaloosa – $285,000
Earlier this week, Shelby voted to pass “The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018,” which was a bipartisan effort of over 70 senators that includes proposals from the Senate Committees on: Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Finance; Judiciary; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
This legislation would reportedly improve detection of illegal drugs at the border, increase the sharing of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs data between states and aim to reduce the use and supply of dangerous drugs.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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