Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grants to Address the Opioid Crisis

The U.S. Department of Labor announces the availability of funding to address the opioid crisis through the Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grants program. The Disaster Recovery DWGs are authorized under Section 170 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The purpose of these grants is to enable eligible applicants to create disaster-relief employment to alleviate the effects of the opioid crisis in affected communities, as well as to provide employment and training activities, including supportive services, to address economic and workforce impacts related to widespread opioid use, addiction, and overdose.

While the opioid crisis affects communities in unique ways that necessitate customized approaches to best address its impacts, the Department expects that successful opioid Disaster Recovery DWG projects will accomplish the following:

• facilitate community partnerships that are central to dealing with this complex public health crisis;
• provide training that builds the skilled workforce in professions that could impact the causes and treatment of the opioid crisis, such as: addiction treatment, mental health, and pain management;
• ensure the timely delivery of the appropriate career, training, and supportive services to dislocated workers (including displaced homemakers), individuals temporarily or permanently laid off due to the opioid crisis, long-term unemployed individuals, and self-employed individuals unemployed or significantly underemployed as a result of the opioid public health emergency—including individuals in these populations who have been impacted by opioid use; and
• create temporary disaster-relief employment that addresses the unique impacts of the opioid crisis in affected communities.

States; outlying areas; and, Indian tribal governments as defined by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122(6)).