FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Hannah Muldavin, Hannah.Muldavin@mail.house.gov 

Trone Secures $60 Million in Funding from American Rescue Plan for Maryland Mental Health and Addiction Programs

Washington, DC – Today, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would be distributing $3 billion in American Rescue Plan funding for its mental health and substance use block grant programs, $60 million of which will go to Maryland. Representative David Trone (MD-06) successfully fought to secure this funding by leading a group of nearly 80 bipartisan lawmakers to urge Congressional Leadership to include funding for mental health disorder and substance use disorder prevention and treatment in the American Rescue Plan.

The funding comes during a time when millions of Americans are experiencing a decline in mental health due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2021 report from Mental Health America (MHA) indicates that more people are reporting frequent thoughts of suicide and self-harm than have ever been recorded since the beginning of the MHA program. Additionally, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed last month that over 87,000 Americans died from a drug overdose between September 2019 and September 2020 — a 29% increase from last year. 

“I’m proud of the part I played in securing $60 million in mental health and addiction funding for Marylanders in the American Rescue Plan,” said Representative David Trone. “These programs will help so many individuals who are suffering from substance use and mental health disorders during the pandemic. Now more than ever we must take action to ensure that our communities have the resources that they need.”  

Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Appropriations Committee in the 117th Congress and previously served on the Education and Labor, Foreign Affairs, and Joint Economic Committees. In Congress, Trone is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.

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