Credit: Herald-Mail Media

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Maryland Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone applauded the award of $4,589,064 in federal funds to the Maryland Department of Labor as part of a pilot program to combat the opioid crisis through job training and recovery services.

“This pilot program will help improve long-term economic and public health outcomes for communities across Maryland — especially as we battle the twin crises of the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic,” the lawmakers said. “As the opioid crisis continues to ravage our families and our communities, we will keep working to secure federal funding that helps Maryland combat this public health emergency and that provides support and resources for Marylanders struggling with addiction.”

The funds were awarded through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Support to Communities: Fostering Opioid Recovery through Workforce Development program. Maryland is one of four states chosen for the program.

More than 700 participants in regions throughout the state will receive job training to work in more than a dozen high-demand industries. This pilot program became law in 2018 as part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act.