Maloney Announces $375,000 Federal Investment to Fight Drug Abuse in the Hudson Valley

 

Maloney Announces $375,000 Federal Investment to Fight Drug Abuse in the Hudson Valley

 

Three Nonprofit Organizations in Orange, Dutchess, and Putnam Counties to Receive $125,000 Each

Newburgh, NY – Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) announced that three area nonprofit organizations would receive a total of $375,000 in federal investments to fund drug prevention efforts among Hudson Valley youth. The investments, made by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Drug-Free Communities Support Program, will support the Putnam County Communities that Care Coalition, Port Jervis PRIDE, and the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education of Dutchess County.

“One of the best ways to combat the heroin and opioid crisis is to keep our kids from using drugs in the first place,” said Rep. Maloney. “Prevention starts at home, but this investment will provide the community support that parents, teachers, and coaches need to get in the game and help us fight this epidemic together.”

“We’re thrilled to hear we’re receiving this funding, which will help Operation P.J. PRIDE plan and implement community strategies that will make environmental change,” said Dawn Wilkin, Assistant Director of Prevention Services with Catholic Charities Community Services of Orange and Sullivan Counties, which oversees Port Jervis PRIDE. “Operation P.J. PRIDE is doing a phenomenal job – and this funding will allow them to make sustainable, community-level change.”

“We want to thank the ONDCP and SAMHSA for this much-needed funding that allows us to work closely with our community to prevent substance abuse and misuse, especially during this opioid crisis,” said Kristin McConnell, Co-Chair of the Putnam Communities that Care Coalition.

“We’re thrilled to be able to continue with the program – it’s great to know that officials at all levels of government are committed to fighting the heroin and opioid epidemic in the Hudson Valley,” said Brynna Trumpetto, Project Coordinator, Southern Dutchess Community Coalition, an affiliate of CAPE of Dutchess County. “Our coalition partners are committed to the cause and these resources will allow us to continue our work.”

The investment was made through the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Program within the ONDCP. Funding will facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts and be used for youth anti-substance abuse initiatives to combat alcohol, heroin and prescription drug abuse in the Hudson Valley. The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, is the Nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use. Directed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the DFC Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use.

Last year, Rep. Maloney’s legislation to combat opioid abuse by improving education for prescribing physicians and incentivizing the pharmaceutical industry to include anti-abuse properties in new medications was signed into law as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). In March, Rep. Maloney introduced the Keeping Communities Safe Through Treatment Act, which would provide law enforcement with the option to divert low-level drug offenders directly to treatment instead of booking them and sending them through the criminal justice system. Rep. Maloney also recentlyauthored an op-ed on the need for new solutions to combat the heroin and opioid epidemic. Community members, especially parents, are encouraged to download Rep. Maloney’s Know the Signs Tip sheet and Community Resource Guide.

Author: Harlem Valley News